Oct. 28, 2013

John 4:32

But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.

I have a love/hate relationship with food. I love to eat. My body also loves to receive food; a bit too much. All I have to do is look at something scrumptious and before I even put it into my mouth, my hips have found a secure location for the fat and sugar.

I have no clue how many magazine articles, books, things on the internet I have read that relate to feeding our bodies and losing weight. Still, I struggle with eating properly to keep my temple in tip-top shape. As I get older, my zero metabolism rate somehow becomes even slower if even possible. How I would love to have a normal metabolism for one week. Problem is, I would have a difficult time letting it go. Yes, this is something I covet.

For me, there is no easy, sure-fire way to hit my ideal weight on those charts. I can lose a little but I fall off the wagon. As an emotional eater, I eat when I’m happy, when I’m sad, to celebrate something or when I feel down. It is embarrassing to admit that sometimes food is my best friend.

Food was as much a part of social gatherings during Jesus’ day as today. But until the last number years, most people literally “worked” off what they ate. Yet most people eat the same (or larger) portion sizes.

If you are one of those people who can eat anything and look forward to hopping on the scale at the doctor’s office, kudos to you. For the rest of us, here are a few thoughts about caring for our temples with what and how we eat.

• While many diets advise us on what we should or should not eat, it still comes down to quantity.  The best way to not eat so much is to push the plate away quicker or close the container/bag earlier.
• Denying certain foods just does not work for me.
• The best way to know what you eat is to track it. This is time consuming and not fun. There are lots of apps and online websites that are free.
• The best way to avoid certain foods is not to have them available. We usually do not have ice cream in the house. Otherwise, I eat it. Rick has never met a chip that he didn’t like.
• If overeating is a significant problem, work with someone to help, support or educate you.

As I overindulge, rarely do I think about how poorly I am treating my temple. But I am. In a country like ours that has a cheap food policy, few of us have struggled with knowing where our next meal was coming. For this, we should be grateful.

Jesus told the disciples that he can feed us in a way that food never can. That’s pretty amazing. The problem is most of us only think of getting fed by putting something on our plate. What about feeding ourselves the way Jesus wants to feed us? This is the way for us to be nourished forever.

We are so fortunate that seldom do we have to worry if we have food to eat, unlike many people in this world. Challenge us, Lord God, to cut back what we eat this next week and give the difference to a food pantry or a needy family. Challenge us to seek Jesus as eternal nourishment, rather than our favorite dish. Amen.

Blessings –

Dianne

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