Day # 6 of advent....Christmas fasts....During this season of remember His birth it's good to take several fast periods right in the midst of a season of luxury and indulgence. I love my special moments with a rich chocolate or cup of hot drink that I'd never drink during a normal day, but right in the middle of it all it's good to take a day when you choose to say no to yourself and yes to those... making demands around you. It's good to withhold yourself from a luxury you want to give yourself, to stop and make that phone call you've been putting off, to have a day made up of giving others what they want completely and fully, forgetting about yourself and your wishes.
It's hard to hear His voice when we're in the middle of a bustling shopping center so it's good to take a fast from the hubbub for a day or even a few hours and enjoy the quiet of your own yard or porch taking in the beauty of nature at this time. Sometimes just stepping aside for a short time in the middle of such a busy, bustling time can get everything back into perspective.
I know this, you always give a gift to yourself and others when you "lay down your life" and embrace the other persons life and needs.