On the fifth day...You awaken with a feeling of detachment; you are calm and godlike. - Jean Rhys, Hunger
I woke up so excited for my last ever mean bean challenge breakfast - after this, plain porridge no more! Honestly, I didn't feel hungry for it. My stomach has begun to get used to patience and paltry portions - today as I was eating my normal sized breakfast, I had to really struggle to finish it, delicious as it was.
I had lunch with Beth, who is also taking the challenge. When I got back to College, after doing a little work I decided to do something I'd been putting off all week. Usually I go for 3 - 4 runs per week, but with the mean bean challenge I hadn't been for any. Not because I was exhausted (at least not all the time) but simply because I didn't have the usual afternoon energy buzz that makes me want to bound and leap and run. I decided to see how running would feel like on not enough a day, and so I decided to set out on my shorter route, which usually takes 40 minutes, rather than the long 70 minute one.
The run started well, although I got slight headache five minutes in, but that didn't stop my legs from moving. Oddly, I felt as if I was going quite quickly. My mouth tasted really salty - that sour hunger taste. But other than that, I didn't feel quite as tired as I anticipated. In fact, I got the 'running-numbness' (which is what I call the stage in the run that happens about 30 minutes through, where all tiredness stops and your feet just move mechanically and you just move through the world effortlessly) much quicker than usual - about 10 minutes in.
When I got back, I checked my time - and I'd run 5 minutes faster than usual! It was really odd. Probably adrenaline.
I met up with David, Neil and Beth for the final dinner, and felt so fortunate to have all of them going through the challenge with me. Sean had been doing it as well, but he did three very intense days rather than 5 uncomfortable days. Most of us were averaging about 1000 calories a day, well below the 2100 calories the average person needs to live a healthy active life (source) Sean had gone down to 450 calories a day. He really really pushed himself to experience what someone with barely enough to survive would eat, and I'm glad he stopped after three days because I thnk longer than that would have been dangerously unhealthy.
During Cell Group that night, we read out Psalm 145 in a circle, and when it came to me, I read verse 15 which goes 'The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time.'
Oh God, you give the right words to remind us of your faithfulness.
Dear Father,
You look after the orphan and the widow and the hungry, You are close to the broken hearted. Thank You for teaching me and guiding me this week. Thank You for giving me the love and support of people around me. Please help me not forget to pray for your people who especially need Your presence, help me not become so comfortable in my culture and my lifestyle that I forget Your for people near and far. Dull my pride and my selfishness and my slothfulness and give me Your heart for Your people.
Lord, bless those whose hearts have been moved by the suffering in this world and those who seek to carry on Your work of feeding the hungry. Thank You for Tearfund's work, that You've given the blessing of service to this organisation and that they are doing such wonderful things in Your name.
In a week where I haven't had as much food as normal, you have fed me so much in other ways Lord, your presence has sustained me and my cup overflows with joy to be in your presence.
Amen.
Click here if you want to give to Tearfund's efforts to relieve food poverty.
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