Life with us ~ The Wandering Workentins

Day 17: What Builds You Up?

As I read the title and the message for today I thought…how often my thoughts surrounding food have to do with the negative “that’s fattening” “that will shoot my blood sugar sky high” “look at the # of grams of sugar/carbs is in that” instead of just looking at food as food. There’s a picture going around on Facebook of a piece of pumpkin pie in a Cool Whip container and I laughed because that is how I would eat my pumpkin pie ~ a small slice of pie with huge scoops of Cool Whip. And then I read “what builds you up?” and I realized I can eat a slice of pumpkin pie and a scoop of Cool Whip because it tastes nice and yummy but I don’t have to eat like there’s no tomorrow. Because I want to be here tomorrow!!! I have used so often to make myself feel good and then I deal with the guilt of eating this or that. And that’s one of the things I am wanting to and am changing…is how I look at food. Food is not my friend or my enemy ~ it is what it is.

VERSE:“All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up.” 1 Corinthians 10: 23 ESV

READ: 1 Corinthians 10: 23-27

EXCERPT: To this day, I’ll walk down the cookie aisle or skim a restaurant menu and remind myself that I can eat “whatever I want.” It’s my choice and my outcome.

GRACE IN ACTION: What drives your eating choices? Today, pay attention to your thoughts and actions, then try to estimate how many decisions are made mindfully (what you want and need) or reactively (in compliance or rebellion to what you think you “should” eat).

One of my biggest weakness when it comes to eating is goodies from the bakery. I love fresh chocolate chip cookies, carrot cake, fresh rolls with lots of butter and so, with my all or nothing thinking, I have been avoiding the bakery department of the grocery store a lot for the last month!!! And today I’m reminded that that’s letting the bakery control my thinking instead of me controlling what I do or what I eat. As well, the question about how many food decisions does a person make in a day…I believe I read we make over 215 food choices a day…from when am I going to eat breakfast, lunch, snack, what am I going to eat, how do I fix what I’m going to eat…and the questions just keep coming!!!

So as I continue this journey of getting healthy, making healthy food choices and yet not letting food control all of my thoughts I am reminded to seek the Lord, ask him to help me in my decision making and most of all to extend grace to myself if I do over eat something…and to remember eating 4 fun size candy bars one day is not the end of the world…they sure tasted good and tomorrow I will walk a few more steps, drink a bit more water and if I decide to have a piece of candy that one is enough!!!

I am enough, just the way I am…enough!!!