On eating well

The Lord has been using the time right before I fall asleep to speak to me lately. I think it’s because I have given up reading at that time and instead just given it the Lord in prayer as I fall asleep. It’s the only time of the day in which it is truly quiet in the house and I am at rest.

Last night I was thinking about my quest for bodily health over the past few years. I don’t mean health from a place of dieting or eating this or not eating that, but out of just listening to my body and caring for it with wisdom.

A few months ago I was struggling with losing too much weight due to stomach issues and nursing a baby and in that time the Lord told me to simply eat what sounded good. This was quite freeing because previously when stomach issues have plagued me there was a quest to figure out what food was causing it.. This confirmed what I was suspicious of, my stomach imbalances are caused by stress.

I don’t need to eliminate food, I need to eliminate stress.

I’ve been eating everything again, and an abundance of it. I enjoy dairy. I enjoy gluten. I occasionally enjoy hot dogs, but more frequently I eat well balanced, home cooked meals. I eat wisely but not legalistically.

Last night before I feel asleep the Lord spoke to me that in order to be healthy I need to eat well, both spiritually and physically.

Sometimes we can be busy and lose sight of everyday tasks like cooking dinner, and then we subsist on too many meals of hot dogs and frozen pizzas and Wendy’s. And while I know that God can sanctify any foods and make them good for our body, I also think that it’s our responsibility to choose our meals wisely if we have the ability to.

There is also something grounding, especially in times of great stress, about stopping and cooking a nourishing meal or baking bread for my family. It brings me back to a life giving rhythm when routine is lacking.

But physically eating well is a negligible part of being healthy if we are not also nourishing our soul with God’s presence.

If I am not eating and drinking from the Lord’s table I feel it. My soul feels withered and my body soon follows.

Too many days often I am caught up in getting things done in the morning that I don’t get to reading my bible or resting in the Lord until midday. I then have the audacity on those days to wonder why I feel stressed and grumpy.

On the days I give my firstfruits to the Lord, everything that follows flows from a place of gratitude for what He is doing through my day. Mundane moments feel like Kingdom time. The scrubbing of toilets is done with gratitude.

When I stop to throw myself down in worship in the middle of feeding children, homeschooling, and doing laundry I realign myself with God’s purpose for my life and not my own. I remember that the Lord gave me this family and has called me to establish a home life that is a reflection of His glory.

When I forget to eat at God’s table, I forget who(se) I am.

What if living a full, healthy, vital life is that simple: eat well, spiritually and physically?

How do we live if we are living to eat well?