the 7 adventure

Several weeks ago a friend told me about a book she was reading called 7, by Jen Hatmaker. The subtitle is: "an experimental mutiny against excess." Over the course of 10 months, Jen engaged in a series of 4 week fasts from clothes, spending, waste, food, possessions, media, and stress, respectively. Each month, she went to the extreme and made some radical life alterations - ate only 7 foods, wore only 7 articles of clothing, gave away 7 items for every day of the month, and so on. The purpose? Her prayer was "Jesus, may there be less of me and my junk and more of You and Your kingdom" (pg. 16).

Intrigued? So was I. So I bought the book. I had it shipped to my work, to avoid paying tax. Several other friends were already reading it, so the anticipation of its arrival was great. I ripped it open in my office, and dove in - work cast aside momentarily. Within the first two pages, I alternately laughed out loud, pondered thoughtfully her words, and was moved to tears.
Seven gals from my church are embarking on our own 7 adventure, starting this month: food. Most of my friends are following Jen's example and selecting 7 food items to eat for the entire month (for example, Jen's foods were chicken, avocado, sweet potato, whole wheat bread, spinach, apples, and eggs. Salt, pepper and olive oil were the only permitted additive ingredients). One friend has chosen to fast by eating only the food of a particular ethnic group she has a heart for. This month will be a little different for me, since I am pregnant and it's probably not wise to restrict my diet to 7 food items, since I am hungry all the time and would like to think I eat well enough to give our little guy a wide variety of nutrients. But I will be fasting in my own way:

- No sugar (unless it's an ingredient in an otherwise healthy food item)
- No prepared food from the refrigerated/frozen/boxed food sections
- No fast food
- Permitted beverages: water, OJ, milk

There are a lot of reasons I was drawn to join my friends in this experiment. I'll be honest and say that one reason is that I love these girls so much and respect them greatly. Wanting to join the fun can't always be a bad thing, right?

But I've been wondering for awhile now what it REALLY looks like in suburban America to follow Jesus. The discomfort with living life as we know it ebbs and flows, and probably most days I'm pretty happy with my little Christian life. But then these thoughts pierce me that surely there's more. I don't even really know what more looks like, but it's that nagging question - am I really living the kind of life that Jesus would want me to live? Am I making the kind of impact for his kingdom that he would want me to make? Too often my life looks pretty much like every other suburbanite, Christian or not. I don't think global long term missions is in my immediate path (I think my husband might have a heart attack if I told him I thought God was calling us overseas). So, then, what? What is my part in God's work? Where is he inviting me to join him in what he is doing in the hearts and lives of those in my immediate sphere of influence? And why does it seem like so often the American church (myself included) is just a little bit too American? Are we blending in so much that the Jesus I love is obscurred?

I've started and stopped this blog a couple times now (see my first and only post, dated September 2011). Perhaps now is a good time to resurrect it. Here's the thing though - this blog is mostly for me. I suppose the fact that I am putting it on the internet might contradict that - as my husband pointed out - but really, I just want to write. Even if no one reads it, I am going to keep writing, at least for now. I think writing keeps me honest, it helps me get my thoughts out of my head where they just circle and get all jumbled. And in the case of 7, I'm hoping writing my experiences out will help to hold me accountable. I don't want to be legalistic about 7, but I do want to stick it out and give God a chance to speak. It all feels a little crazy and who knows, maybe this is just one more bandwagon that the church is starting to jump on. My hope and prayer though is that I would be changed to be more like Jesus. That through this my heart would be brought more in line with God's heart and that I would more and more live with hands open for whatever it is that God has in mind for me and my little family. 

So here we go! Feel free to join me, even if only just to shake your head and smile at the ridiculousness of it all.