Fasting

Many faiths practice the combination of fasting and prayer. Fasting helps us become more attuned to the Spirit and also helps us be more empathetic to the needs of those less fortunate. For each of my temple trips (see here and here), I fasted that I might build my testimony - and those prayers were answered. In discussing the visit to the Oakland temple, I wrote:

My brother-in-law TR got laid off unexpectedly from his job just before Thanksgiving. I decided to fast that he might find a new job and that this experience might help him in his life someway ... I prayed to begin my fast that it might help TR find a new position. TR hasn't found a new job yet but perhaps the later experience at the Oakland temple was God's way of telling me he had heard my prayer and that my fast would help TR in some small way.

Well, it turns out that this prayer was answered as well. During this particular fast, I had a meeting with the missionaries and mentioned that I was fasting (and what my purpose was). One of the missionaries (ER) said that his father runs a business in Utah and might be able to help - and he gave me his father's email address (even though, in general, ER's very reluctant to mix his personal life back in Utah with his missionary life here in California). To make a long story short, I found out on Friday night that TR is going to do some contract audio/video work for this company (on a program that ER started while he was working at his father's company prior to his mission). When I heard the news from NR, I remember thinking "wow, there really is something to this fasting thing." I knew it before (from the temple visits) but this experience really brought it home - and I am very grateful for that. It's one thing to see the Lord work in your own life. But it's even more humbling to see the Lord work through you to touch the life of someone you care about.