Day 3 - October 18

A day of fasting and fatigue.  I've made it a practice over the past three months to fast weekly--a water fast for 30-36 hours.  Sometimes I think I'm crazy to fast.  Tonight, after a ten-hour workday at the hospital, I came home and lay on the couch before I could get enough energy to face the dishes that lined the kitchen counter.  Other people obviously weren't fasting.  And I was tired.  My feet hurt.

One of our homestay students wandered into the kitchen and began preparing food.  "I'll wait," I thought, "until he's done and then tackle all the dishes at once."  Presently I heard the tap water running and the sound of silverware clinking against the bottom of the sink.  My first instinct was to get up, protest, and tell Abdullah that I was perfectly capable of washing up the dishes.

But then I thought, what a kind thing for him to do.  Should I prevent him from doing a good deed?  Just because I'm the recipient?  So I waited until he was almost finished, and snapped this picture of him:

I told him I am keeping a record of all the things I'm thankful for this year.  And one of them is Abdullah and his kind act of dishwashing.

This morning I had my annual biometric screen.  Unlike last year, the numbers--bad cholesterol, good cholesterol, total cholesterol, weight, triglycerides, blood sugar--are all in the "ideal" range.  In large part, I must admit, because of regular fasting and exercise.  This gives me great satisfaction.  

So, I am thankful for fasting.  For the way that something that is painful and difficult is also beneficial. I will keep at it this year, and give thanks.