My no-alcohol Lent is teaching me a thing or two.
The grandest epiphany at the moment is that I am something of a mindless eater and drinker. I sit down to dinner, eat until the food is gone, and wish there was more. I drink the same way.
I set in to a glass of wine because it is 5 pm, and then I continue sipping on one thing or another until bedtime. I don't get drunk, and I don't get fat, but the problem is the same despite the lesser results.
My Glorious and Amazingly Wonderful Husband is very different in his handling of food and drink. When he is hungry, he thinks about what he would most like, and then he makes it, and eats one serving of it. When he is finishing up one meal, he is usually mulling over what the next one will be.
I eat all of whatever is on the table, and finish off the kids' plates, and then realize that I'm too full, so I put on my sweats. I suck.
Tim drinks alcohol this way, too. He decides what wine would be perfect with his meal...or perhaps a beer. Then he drinks it and enjoys it and moves on. I begin with whatever is cheap and open, and drink because it's 5:00.
Lent has been a great opportunity to examine this habitual approach to my relationship with culinary delights. In truth, I think Tim likes food more than I do, because he really takes thought and time to enjoy it.
Kara eats like Tim does, I think all really slender people do.
There are issues here worthy of a spot on Oprah, I'm sure. The bottom line is that this is one more place in my psyche that is not fully submitted to my Creator. It's not rebellion, exactly, it's ignorance. I can't really claim that anymore, though.
And that opens a whole can of worms, doesn't it?
If I believe that God designed me and set me off into the world for purpose, I need to be deliberate in all I do. This means that there is no room for idle (idol!)habit. My conduct needs to reflect the purpose for which I was designed. I am stamped with the image of this Great Creator God. Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and render to God that which is His.
That means that I may never eat or drink the same way again.
Sheesh.
Being a Christian is hard work.
4 comments:
Indeed it is! -Jessie
i may not eat massive amounts of food all the time, but i am just as messed up.
but you alredy knew that huh? the problem with knowing someone forever is that there is never anything interesting to say that you don't already know.
kind of comforting though too. :)
So, how is the marathon training coming along? There is a powder mix called XTEND (a recovery product) that will help with the muscle cramping you were talking about the other day after a run.
Something to help take your mind off your pain!
Love ya,
Dad
Post a Comment