Introduction to 7 by Jen Hatmaker

7

an experimental mutiny against excess 

by Jen Hatmaker

A little over a week in a half ago, a friend from high school posted on facebook asking if anyone would like to join an online book discussion group. I jumped in without thinking about it much at all. I had recently been looking for this sort of thing anyway, but a little cautious about joining a group of people I didn't know. So, when I saw that someone I knew was doing it (even though I haven't really seen or talked to her since high school, 20-something years ago) I guess I felt like it was the answer to something I had been desiring. Instantly I got excited about the idea and quickly went on Amazon.com to give the book a quick look over, ordered it and here I am, smack dab in the middle of a book discussion group full of people (nearly 40) that I don't know

...and loving it.

A quick overview of what this book is about. Jen Hatmaker writes about her journey through an experimental mutiny (fast) in seven major areas

of excess found in American culture:

Clothes

Spending

Waste

Food

Possessions

Media

Stress

Well....unbeknownst to me, we were to participate in these fasts. I had NO idea what I was getting myself into. I quickly found myself a bit overwhelmed, unsure, immersed in peer pressure (all my own perception and not real at all) and quite honestly, a little fearful. 

I don't really fast. I'm a Baptist.  

We don't really talk about fasting a whole lot. I know it's biblical. I know people do it. 

But, just not me.

 

Well, now that I think about it, that's not really true.  

I actually did have a period of time a few years ago when

I fasted a lunch once a week and spent time in prayer.  

My pastor had preached a sermon on prayer 

and said that he was going to give up one lunch a week and pray instead and I just thought that sounded like a good idea...

so silently, without mentioning it to a soul, I fasted.  

I would like to say that I learned a lot from that period of time 

(I had heard others say how wonderful it was) or that God spoke to me or showed me great and mighty things....

but honestly, I just think it was doing something I thought 

was what He wanted me to do at the time.  

No harm done, I spent a good bit of time in prayer. :-) 

And, last summer our family "fasted" from media for a week....

it was more about seeing what we were really doing with our 

time 

and trying to be more appreciative of it as well as creative and productive.

The facilitator of our group, Amanda posted the following little chart,and encouraged us to pray about why God wanted us to do this fast.  

In the first chapter, Jen Hatmaker chooses 7 foods to eat for a whole month. 

Just 7 foods....and water. 

And she writes about it day by day taking reader along with her deep thoughts, grumblings and ah-ha moments.

We were encouraged by Amanda to pray and 

seek what God would have us to fast for the next week or two weeks.

A good many of the woman in this online book group have decided to do what the author, Jen did. They have picked their 7 foods and will eat just that for the next week or two weeks. I admire their will to do this. They are giving up, seriously sacrificing to seek the will of God. 

It just didn't resonate with me. I'm not sure why. And, I struggled with it.  

Like I mentioned before I was feeling peer pressure....

pressure to choose 7 foods, pressure to conform.  

Ask my family. I had talked it out with all of them (I'm surprised the dog didn't hear about it too).  

And, then I wondered, did God want me to give up something that was dear to me?

Tea?  

I do love my hot cups of tea.  

But, honestly if I gave it up...I'd probably just drink coffee or some other warm drink. 

I think it's actually more about drinking something warm than the caffeine.  

So, after a few days of praying, talking with my husband (a good bit) and children,

I reminded myself that the purpose of the book is a mutiny against excess....and I have a large amount of food in my cupboards and freezer.  Probably to a point of excess. This fast is about repentance for me. Surely I am not grateful for the food God has given us if I throw it away regularly without much thought. Surely I am presuming that God will continue to "give us our daily bread" whether I ask or not. Surely I am not mindful of people starving all over the world if we put too much food into our bellies without much thought or appreciation.

So, I have decided to use what we have in our cupboards, refrigerator and freezers and try to buy far less then we normally would.  

It will force me to be a little creative, resourceful with  good purpose. 

My husband also suggested that I actually cook to portion sizes (because I usually cook BIG) 

and that we close the kitchen at certain times....  

to cut down on food waste (both going into the trash and into our bodies).  

So, that's exactly what I, we would do.

Poor things, they never saw it coming. 

Actually, they all smiled at me with that, "I knew this was coming" smile.  

They know me.  

So, to top off this commitment and make me feel like I was going to fit in with this group of ladies that I didn't know, for two weeks,

we would only purchase 7 things at the grocery store and live off of what was in our cupboards, refrigerator and freezers. And we were all on board.