I'm not going to go into any details about what's going on with my 2-year-old niece. But contrary to what I would have thought watching her play at my mom's last weekend, she's not actually healthy. And her parents have been told that what they are trying to do to help her get healthy isn't working.
So I guess it was my mom's idea to have a family fast for her. Since tomorrow is fast Sunday, all of Caroline's paternal relatives (and, I hear, many others) will stop eating at some point today and not eat again until about 24 hours have passed. During that time we will be praying for Caroline and her family. I'm also praying for those who give her medical care and advice.
I just finished my lunch today, so after I was done, I knelt in prayer to begin my fast.
In some ways, it seems like an odd thing to do. Why should going without food have any affect of her health? So, of course, we must remember that it's more than not eating. It's prayer and pleading. By skipping the meals, we help ourselves remember that we are trying to focus our prayers and faith on Caroline. But we also say some things to our Father in Heaven as we do this. One of the things I think I am saying is, "my concern for this other person, this family, is greater than my concern for my own basic physical appetites." We are also saying, I believe, that even though our brains may not really see how my skipping meals should matter to the God of the Universe, we actually believe that He sees it as one way we show our humility and dependence on Him and our faith that He is there. In short, it's one way to exercise our faith that what we do, say, and think here matters to the Supreme Father of us all.
There is power, also, in the numbers. Just think about it: many people who know and love this family willingly give up food and send prayers heavenward on their behalf. That's unity. I believe unity has power.
One more thing: as I prayed just a few moments ago, I felt (in my mind and in my heart) that God, our Father in Heaven, knows this family and cares for them deeply. He knows about all the tears Caroline's parents have shed as they've contemplated their daughter's future. He knows what Caroline needs right now. Caroline is precious to Him and He has the power to help her.
