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Fasting Atop a 150ft Redwood Tree
Testimony
by
Phil Floyd
“My last two
attempts at fasting had little to do with coming close to God; instead they
were about my own selfish thoughts of personal accomplishment... that is why
I failed in both of them.”
 I
just finished a week long fast atop 150 feet Redwood tree that I named
"Libertall". I’m a 22-year old forest defense activist in Humboldt county
California and have been doing this work for over 16 months. Corporate
logging has reduced the once mighty Redwood Empire to a mere fraction of
what it once was. Sadly, less than 3% of the original trees remain. I have
been living in a tree-sit, high up in the trees so that no logger can cut
these giants down without taking me down with it.
A little background: for the past 6 months I have been living in solitude in
the woods. During this time God put it on my heart to take advantage of this
peaceful, serene setting and fast. I have attempted fasting twice in the
past but was un-prepared and un-informed. I ended up prematurely breaking my
first fast with junk food and sugar, which didn't contribute at all to
spiritual growth. So I decided that I wasn't ready, and was discouraged and
stopped trying. But for the last year I have spent time on Freedomyou
learning as much as I could on how to fast. Finally I responded to the call,
and prepared my body for the spiritual journey. My last two attempts at
fasting had little to do with coming close to God; instead they were about
my own selfish thoughts of personal accomplishment... that is why I failed
in both of them. Now I understand that my fast is about dying to the self,
humbling myself before Jehovah, and most importantly, subduing the flesh.
I began by preparing my body and spirit by doing one day fasts on Sundays.
Between the fasts, I ate mostly healthy organic food and prepared with
meditation and the word of God. I knew that the only way I was making it
was to fully rely on God’s help. I acknowledged that I am weak without
God's help so I cast myself onto him in faith. I also decided to refrain
from all of the usual comfort zone tools that I used to cope with life in
the trees, like music, and only allowed myself the word of God to help me
through. The two days before my fast, I began to wean my body into it by
slowly eating raw fruits and veggies.
During the fast, the hardest part was the first night. I experienced
painful stomach cramps that lasted all night and, when I drank water, it
only made my mouth ache and my stomach get worse. So I got it in my head to
break my fast, but I called out the Lord's name for help and he heard me. I
woke up the next day and felt fine; I gave praise to Jehovah for hearing
me. Through the rest of the fast, I feasted at the table of God everyday and
never felt all that hungry. It was easy with the word of God; He was my
strength and shield through the whole fast, I felt very close to Him the
whole time. Satan attacked me once or twice but every time the Holy Spirit
fought him off. Once I actually felt like I grabbed Satan by the neck and
flung him away from my tree! With the help and word of God, Satan stood no
chance. After the 3rd day, I started drinking organic juice that tasted
delicious and filled me with much needed energy.
I ended the fast the same way I started, but I did eat too much my first
meal. I ate Miso soup with Quinoa and I had too much grain (about a cup).
I felt some discomfort from eating too much so be careful. Your stomach
seems to shrink when you fast so eat small amounts on your first meal. It
wasn't that bad though and I learned from it.
For the first time in my life, it truly feels as if the Spirit is in
control. I must continue to feed the Spirit everyday by prayer, meditation,
God's word and charity. I highly recommend that everyone fast but remember
to fully cast yourself at God's feet for we are nothing without his help. I
do want to mention that a lot of my friends thought I was crazy for fasting
up in a tree. But I had no fear because I was counting on God to help and
he did. His hand was their all the time, holding me up and keeping from
falling down to the forest floor.
Footnote
by
Ron Lagerquist
It's refreshing to see a Christian take a
stand on an issue that historically has not been embraced by the Church. It
makes perfect sense, after all, Phil's passion and love for the natural
world is rooted in his love for God, the Creator. If we all believed in
something so strongly to take action, it would change our world and go a
long way to improve the maligned image of Christianity.
Please send your testimony to
ron@freedomyou.com |
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