It's All Connected. Part 3

one of my favorite passages in scripture is the story of elijah in 1 kings 19. elijah has just defeated the priests of baal. one of the most spectacular displays of God's power. then elijah receives a message from jezebel that she is coming after him. elijah, seemingly forgetting what God just did for him, he runs. he runs until he can not run any longer. he finds himself sitting under a juniper tree, suicidal. he is pleading for the Lord to take him on to glory. my favorite is God's gracious response to elijah.. He sends an angel to elijah while he is sleeping, and the angel offers him bread and water. then elijah sleeps some more and the angel returns with more food and water. God didn't tell elijah to fight his spiritual, emotional, and physical depression with more prayer... more bible reading....more good deeds (although those things aren't bad). He offers elijah food, water, and rest. AWE!!! i love it. there are countless accounts of people gathering for meals in scripture. Jesus refers to the great feast over and over again. Jesus very purposely chose to turn water into wine as His first miracle.. Jesus loves good food, good wine, and a good party. Jesus loves a good feast. Tim Keller, says, "A feast is a place where our appetites and our senses of sight, smell, sound and taste are filled up." God knew food was an important part of our spiritual, emotional, and physical, well being.

have you ever put diesel into a gasoline engine or vice versa? it makes a huge difference doesn't it? a car that receives the wrong fuel does not, can not function and run the way it was meant to. our bodies are the same. our bodies do not, can not function properly if we are filling up on the wrong fuel. we are what we eat :)

for me the last five years have been about balance. do we eat taco bell? why yes, we did last night. will i eat WHATEVER you put in front of me when i come to your house for dinner? why yes, i will. will i enjoy it? yes, i will!! do i freak out if my child has a cupcake while they are at a sleep over with the gparents? NO WAY! do i let my children eat whatever they want? NO. do i try and modify our weekly menu to include more real things and less fake things? absolutely!... am i trying to educate my kids so they can correlate the way they feel based on what they just put in their body? yes. do i hope to be even healthier and more educated five years from now? yep. but in the meantime, i am going to enjoy good food, good wine, good partying, and great feasting!

cheers, to the balanced health and wellness journey!
~s