Hello again. Day 4 was particularly challenging. I did have an illuminating time reading the Book of Mormon, the Holy Bible and the Holy Qur'an. I know that one of the requirements for Muslims is to read the entire Qur'an during Ramadan.
So, my Muslim friends, how is it going? and how far have you got?
I'm a sufferer of severe headaches, as you may remember I wrote about in this article. I wrote in my fasting journal how I was quite surprised I hadn't come down with a headache so far this week. Unfortunately this afternoon it came and at 4pm I broke my fast. I have a family to take care of so I have to look after my health first. I was disappointed I had to stop early but sometimes we have to make such decisions for the better good.
Then I received a comment which was rather negative and sarcastic concerning my Day 3 fasting efforts, so I decided against publishing it.
I have received so many positive and encouraging comments so far which have helped me to continue past a tough Day 1. However, this comment kind of knocked me back a bit, telling me that their 6-year-old could do better than me! Then they told me to, impossibly, not be offended!
"It matters not if you try and fail, and try and fail, and try again. It matters if you try and fail and fail to try again."
I'm a non-Muslim giving this fasting a good try. I tried real hard. I gave every effort I could. But I realised today that I'm not really doing this to please the Muslim community or for anyone else for that matter. I did it for myself, to get closer to God, spend a little more time 'away' from the world, and for the purposes I mentioned earlier. Those purposes were to develop a greater level of patience so that we could enjoy improved harmony and love at home.
Those purposes have been fulfilled. I feel very calm and at peace with everything.
There are many good people of whatever faith they may be who repeatedly try and fail, and try and fail, and keep on trying again. This includes a number of Christian friends who try their best and fall and struggle, and then dust themselves down and try again. We don't condemn them, or criticise them, we just offer the helping hand again, and again, and again, as long as it remains necessary.
Thank you to all who have commented so positively regarding my Ramadan fasting trial, who have given me a lot of encouragement. I'm pleased to announce the fasting trial has been completed, a little earlier than planned but having fulfilled it's purpose.
I've enjoyed it a lot and I'm glad I gave it a go. I'm definitely better because of it.
All my best wishes are with the Muslims who are fasting faithfully this month.
Once again, I'd be interested to know how my Muslim friends are progressing with their reading of the Qur'an . . .
Hi dear, I am so proud of you! I can see your patience developed since you started this fasting trial. I am so happy you gave it a try and we will stick to once a month fasting as required by our church. :)) I will join you as soon as Leah stops her fully breastfeed milk. Another 4 months that is! :)) I love you lots!
ReplyDeleteDon't let it get to you Duncan. People can be cowards when they have the ability to leave comments in an anonymous setting.
ReplyDeleteI'm most impressed with what you are accomplishing.
Fidelia, thanks, and I look forward to fasting once a month :)
ReplyDeleteCraig, thanks for your support. Just to clarify, it wasn't an anonymous comment. But I have had a few anons and spams appearing lately as well. Comment moderation is a useful tool!
Duncan,I'm proud of what you have done, no matter that you didn't complete the fasting. It is the will that counts. Next time, if you will decide to repeat the experience, will be better! One cannot constantly and completely satisfy everyone around us, and you should pursue your way of thinking firstly to your health, in order to be with your lovely family as long as possible.
ReplyDeleteI think you did great really! It's true that fasting help you get closer to God and see some things differently. It is not a contest after all.
ReplyDeleteAt 1st my husband was worried I decided to fast but as I told him if I feel weak and can't carry on a full day, don't worry I will eat.
By fasting we are not trying to impress others but just to set up a deepest relationship with God.
All the best!
Duncan, you should just ignore such ignorant, holier-than-thou comment that a 6-year young child can do better than you. A 6-year young child may indeed do a fast better than an adult. But do you think god really cares that you fast well physically? God is not bothered that a person fasts well. He is only concerned that a person does good deeds and helps his fellow-men and does not do evil. All other considerations are secondary. And do you think that god won't love someone just because he doesn't fast or doesn't fast well? Remember that the Sabbath was made for man and not man made for the Sabbath. If fasting is the criterion than a person can get away with murder because I am certain many criminals can fast well if that will absolve them of culpability. I think man has this tendency to go for form rather than substance because form is physically observable and man likes this idea that others can see him physically perform an act but often can't discern the result. This is really foolish. God is not deceived. So, Duncan, just ignore the comment and do what you think is right and not what others think is right for you according to their interpretation. People always want to feel that they know better or are superior to others when the reality is that no one person is better or superior to others just because he can do a certain thing better than others. At the end of the day we are all dust to dust and if anything else reminds it is surely not form. Cheerio! And let fools be.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I love the header photo that you have at the moment, and the blog post was much easier for me to read today, so perhaps you've done something to that as well. Duncan, I can't believe that you received such a negative comment my friend. I can imagine that it must have shaken you up a bit. I think you have done very well with the fasting. "It matters not if you try and fail, and try and fail, and try again. It matters if you try and fail and fail to try again." That quote is so true. I have seen it before, but it is so appropriate for you. I'm proud of you anyway. Please try to forget about that other comment. You're quite right, you have a young family and a lovely wife, and you have to think of your health first.
ReplyDeleteI am proud of what you did, fasting can be very difficult for some people. I fasted for 47 hours one time and it was not hard to do then. I drank a lot of sparkling water. I don't know if I could do it now.
ReplyDeleteJust remember, most people are decent loving humans, but there is that 10%....
Oops, for "result" read "substance".
ReplyDeleteTraveling Hawk, Marie, ordinary malaysian, Diane, Anthony, thank you so much for following my fasting trial this closely. I'm thankful for your comments here. It was an enlightening time, and I'm moving on with greater patience and the feeling that I've got something good out of it :)
ReplyDelete