Music festivals are very different from conventional concerts. For one thing, they typically have multiple stages going simultaneously. Furthermore, the posted schedule for each individual stage is merely an approximation. And then there is the fact that there are just so many more bands to see at a festival. Those bands typically play shorter sets and many of them are much less well-known than bands one would see at a concert. So then there's the curiosity factor as well.
If I'm really disciplined, I would do my homework ahead of time and familiarize myself with the various bands playing so as to get an idea of who I would like to see during a particular time of day. Now if the schedules go as planned, then inserting restroom and food breaks would be fairly simple since I would know which bands would be playing when and where.
But at festivals, schedules often do not go exactly as planned. As mentioned before, they are merely approximations. The restroom and food places are convenient for setup and takedown and deliveries, etc. but not necessarily for the stage-to-stage route I intend to take at a given time. Also, since there are a multitude of stages, it's hard to keep track of who's been running behind and by how much. Rather than assume a certain schedule delay for the next stage, based upon the previous stage I was at, I often just make a beeline to the next stage, foregoing a restroom or food break. Sometimes it's a wise choice, other times I do end up getting there early. But, of course, by the time I'm there, I'm not sure if I can backtrack for a restroom or food break and then return in time for the next band's set.
Because these bands are often not as well-known as concert bands, I might not get another chance to see them. Or, if I do, it may not be worth the trouble at that next opportunity. In other words, it's a special moment not to be missed for petty things like a restroom or food break. Those can wait another 20-30 minutes for the end of the set, at which point I would decide how much longer I'm willing to "hold it" or "tough it out."
Some of my gamer friends have similar experiences in playing their video games. Sometimes they're playing a really good game. They're just in a zone and they're on a roll. They could just pause and save but not in a rare and special moment like this. No way! Rather than interrupt what they have going with a petty thing like a restroom or food break, they "hold it" and "tough it out" for as long as they feel able - or until the game finally ends.
My gamer friends and I were experiencing our special moments in our own ways. But nothing we ever experienced was nearly as profound as what the people witnessed when Jesus overcame the impossible to make things right. Following Him for three days was massively inconvenient for them. At the end of it there was a lot more at stake than just a bit of discomfort. There was a very real chance that they might not make the long journey home without the help of the medics - in this case a considerable army of medics.
These followers may not have been "holding it" for any unusually long time but they were certainly "toughing it out" much more than I would at a music festival or my gamer friends would while playing totally epic game. Jesus did feed the crowd at the end - again overcoming what seemed impossible - but until then these people neither knew nor presumed that they would get a meal out of following Him. They just sensed something special was happening and absolutely did not want to miss it - even going as far as sacrificing a great deal of comfort without any knowledge of how they were going to get any relief. They had complete trust in the Lord.
Matthew 15: 29-37
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