ramadan Kareem

Allah Akram- that is, Ramadan is generous- God is more Generous.
That is the greeting that we say these days- a constant reminder of how generous God really is.
I have been fasting- made it 3 days- and I don't think I can make it any more. This is really hard- no water when it is almost 100 degrees all day (and we got excited when it dropped below 85 in our house last night at like 2 am!) is really hard. I have arabic lessons from 12:30-2:30 in the afternoon and it has become apparent that lessons without water are a waste of money!:) So, I am postponing the "no drinking" part for now- I might return to it....
It has been really hard for the last two days. I haven't been hungry, the food I eat at night takes care of most of the hunger. But a burning thirst begins at 3 o'clock and gets worse as the minutes tick by. I have spent all afternoon looking at the clock wishing the call to prayer :) so I can DRINK!!! Finally at 7 pm, the ban on food and drink in public is lifted - and the fast is broken. Last night, I waited to eat for almost 2 hours- but I drank a liter of iced tea, 1/2 a liter of water and half a can of pepsi in the first 30 min. I was "allowed" !!!!!
I can't really explain "thirst" because as an American, I had never really experienced it until this week. I mean, I have been thirsty- but I have always been able to quench that thirst within a few minutes to an hour of me thinking "I am thirsty." To sit all afternoon in the state of "thirsty" - that I have never done before until now!!!
I am grateful for the new understanding I have of Ramadan- but I am so grateful that God is truly generous and has lavished me with grace. Because tomorrow when it is 100 degrees out- I will be happily drinking water and thanking God for His abundantly generous grace!!!!