I would like a PB & J, but hold the peanut butter, please.

Warning...serious Mama bragging ahead...if you are the kind that roll your eyes when Mamas start telling why their child should be the eighth wonder of the world then bail from this blog NOW...okay, you have been warned.

The Pressons have a love/hate relationship with peanut butter. My middle man, Riley, is deathly (sadly, absolutely NO exaggeration with deathly) allergic to peanut butter. So, we are very careful with it whenever anyone eats it at home. Landry on the other hand is NOT (thankfully) allergic to it...and that is where the LOVE comes in. He eats it on his pancakes, crackers, apples, carrots, sandwiches with banana, sandwiches with jelly, and often asks for a big scoop of it on his plate.

On Sunday, February 28th our pastor asked our congregation to begin fasting each Wednesday for our upcoming Easter services. Many raised their hands in agreement. The next morning, I was fixing Landry's ritual pancakes. When I reached for the peanut butter he shrieked, "NO peanut butter, Mama!!" He then reminded me of Bro. Carpenter's request. I was still a little puzzled why my FIVE year old was reminding me of this. He calmy told me that he was going to fast from peanut butter. I began explaining that our pastor was asking this of the adults, and he told me that he had decided he was going to join in also. I was still not getting the depth of my little man's decision, and reminded him that Bro. Carpenter had asked that we fast only on Wednesdays. He FIRMLY told me that he had decided to fast from peanut butter every single day until Easter.

WOW! I must admit that I was amazed at his commitment! Landry still sleeps through most of our Sunday night services, I am astonished that he even heard our pastors request!! Tears began to fall as I spread plain old boring butter on the beloved pancakes. I was so thankful for the spiritual depth that Landry was experiencing at this young age of five.

Later that morning, he asked for his morning snack of apples and peanut butter, but WITHOUT the peanut butter...It was getting to the point where I was speechless. The next morning, I thought that the fast might be "over." I still would have been super proud. 24 hours without peanut butter for my pb lovin' 5 year old would have been awesome! But no...he requested plain butter on his pancakes AGAIN! I talked with Landry about the reasons why we fast...about how we are telling the Lord that we love him more than earthly things. I told him about how we go to the next level in our relationship with the Lord when we fast, and how it was important to spend extra time in prayer for the things we were fasting for. He seemed to understand all of this completely. At this point, I was filled to the brim with pride...the good kind of pride. The kind that make your heart rejoice!

Day after day went by and the fast got harder and harder. But, Landry's determination was beyond amazing. One day he stood at the pantry doors with the saddest expression, and I asked him what was wrong. He said, "I really, really want peanut butter and crackers but I know I CAN'T!" He settled for an ice cream sandwich...which is yummy too! The fast did come to an end this week. Avery asked for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and Landry started sobbing quietly. I asked if he would like to stop his peanut butter fast and he sadly agreed. I told him how proud our whole family was of him, and how much the Lord LOVED him. I think a 3 week peanut butter fast is absolutely AWESOME!

I am overwhelmed by his faith and his commitment to his Savior. He puts many of us to shame with our excuses of why we don't go further in God than we've been before. He has inspired me to fast more, pray harder, and trust the Lord for greater things. May I enter the presence of the Lord with childlike faith. I know Landry has touched the Lord in a great way these past three weeks. My son is going to do great things for God...not when he is a teenager, not when he is a grown man. But right now, when he is a five year old boy that still falls asleep in church.