"My last two attempts at fasting had little to do with coming close to God; instead they were about my own selfish thoughts of personal accomplishment... that is why I failed in both of them."
I just finished a week long fast atop 150 feet Redwood tree that I named "Libertall". I’m a 22-year old forest defense activist in Humboldt county California and have been doing this work for over 16 months. Corporate logging has reduced the once mighty Redwood Empire to a mere fraction of what it once was. Sadly, less than 3% of the original trees remain. I have been living in a tree-sit, high up in the trees so that no logger can cut these giants down without taking me down with it.
A little background: for the past 6 months I have been living in solitude in the woods. During this time God put it on my heart to take advantage of this peaceful, serene setting and fast. I have attempted fasting twice in the past but was un-prepared and un-informed. I ended up prematurely breaking my first fast with junk food and sugar, which didn't contribute at all to spiritual growth. So I decided that I wasn't ready, and was discouraged and stopped trying. But for the last year I have spent time on Freedomyou learning as much as I could on how to fast. Finally I responded to the call, and prepared my body for the spiritual journey. My last two attempts at fasting had little to do with coming close to God; instead they were about my own selfish thoughts of personal accomplishment... that is why I failed in both of them. Now I understand that my fast is about dying to the self, humbling myself before Jehovah, and most importantly, subduing the flesh.
I began by preparing my body and spirit by doing one day fasts on Sundays. Between the fasts, I ate mostly healthy organic food and prepared with meditation and the word of God. I knew that the only way I was making it was to fully rely on God’s help. I acknowledged that I am weak without God's help so I cast myself onto him in faith. I also decided to refrain from all of the usual comfort zone tools that I used to cope with life in the trees, like music, and only allowed myself the word of God to help me through. The two days before my fast, I began to wean my body into it by slowly eating raw fruits and veggies.
During the fast, the hardest part was the first night. I experienced painful stomach cramps that lasted all night and, when I drank water, it only made my mouth ache and my stomach get worse. So I got it in my head to break my fast, but I called out the Lord's name for help and he heard me. I woke up the next day and felt fine; I gave praise to Jehovah for hearing me. Through the rest of the fast, I feasted at the table of God every day and never felt all that hungry. It was easy with the word of God; He was my strength and shield through the whole fast, I felt very close to Him the whole time. Satan attacked me once or twice but every time the Holy Spirit fought him off. Once I actually felt like I grabbed Satan by the neck and flung him away from my tree! With the help and word of God, Satan stood no chance. After the 3rd day, I started drinking organic juice that tasted delicious and filled me with much needed energy.
I ended the fast the same way I started, but I did eat too much my first meal. I ate Miso soup with Quinoa and I had too much grain (about a cup). I felt some discomfort from eating too much so be careful. Your stomach seems to shrink when you fast so eat small amounts on your first meal. It wasn't that bad though and I learned from it.
For the first time in my life, it truly feels as if the Spirit is in control. I must continue to feed the Spirit everyday by prayer, meditation, God's word and charity. I highly recommend that everyone fast but remember to fully cast yourself at God's feet for we are nothing without his help. I do want to mention that a lot of my friends thought I was crazy for fasting up in a tree. But I had no fear because I was counting on God to help and he did. His hand was their all the time, holding me up and keeping from falling down to the forest floor.
Footnote
By
Ron Lagerquist
It's refreshing to see a Christian take a stand on an issue that historically has not been embraced by the Church. It makes perfect sense, after all, Phil's passion and love for the natural world is rooted in his love for God, the Creator. If we all believed in something so strongly to take action, it would change our world and go a long way to improve the maligned image of Christianity.
Related Article: That fasting High
Please send your testimony to ron@freedomyou.com