Small practices support large principles.

Choices create ideals.

Long term change is built upon a series of moments.

Bridges of great span are held up by narrow pillars.

A life of following Jesus is constructed of moments.

After 8 days of fasting I find that I have a greater capacity for love. I am more patient, less concerned with self, able to appreciate the moment more, more like “myself” it seems. My mind seems to automatically travel to the “deep places” without ignoring the shallows…and yet I no longer live in them.

The “practice of fasting” (the small practice) somehow supports, manifests the large, VERY large principle of Christ-likeness. No surprise, really, at least theoretically. However, it seems to be a surprise in a personal sense.

There is a balance somewhere between a practice (e.g. fasting) becoming hollow and in-effective, and it gaining any true value in and of itself. I used to think that this balance space was very wide, like a teeter-totter a mile long. But this fast is helping me see that the distance between hollow practice and idol is only inches. Therefore it is very difficult to find the balance point, and it required moment to moment attention to maintain balance.

Jesus walked this out in the form of maintaining his “Jewishness”. He observed the Sabbath (the RIGHT way), attended the feasts (for the RIGHT reasons), etc.

Moments, moments, moments. Choices, choices choices.