The Medicine Cabinet: Eat Well — Tuesday
Proverbs 3:6
...in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. (NLT)
When I read Genesis 1:29-30 and Genesis 9:2-3, I can’t help but think to myself, “Man, what simple times back in Bible days.” God gave plants, fruits, vegetables, and meat for food, and that was that.
But with the development of so many addicting yet nutritionally lacking foods, combined with more and more conflicting perspectives on what kinds of dietary approaches are best, what’s “healthy” and how we “should” eat has become increasingly difficult to determine and pursue. And to add on, so many of us are now plagued with allergies and medical conditions that have made navigating what to eat an everyday battle.
While I’m a foodie at heart, food and I have a complicated relationship. Toward the end of high school, I started having stomach problems that slowly worsened throughout my time in college, and within a couple years of graduating, I found myself barely able to eat and scarily underweight. I was then diagnosed with idiopathic gastroparesis in 2017 at age 24, and the years following have been a rollercoaster of trying to find the right doctors, medications, and foods to help me restore and maintain a decent quality of life.
Though it took time and a lot of grueling patience and prayer, I eventually got connected to an incredible doctor at Cleveland Clinic and was deemed an eligible candidate for a state-of-the-art surgery. And since that surgery, I’m grateful to say that I’ve been able to regain my weight and manage my symptoms significantly better. But I still have flare-ups and new issues, and food remains a daily challenge. There are no one-size-fits-all gastroparesis diets, and I’ve learned it requires discipline to eat in a way that will both keep me comfortable and nourish me well.
Whether it’s dealing with a broken body or navigating the maze of our modern food culture, we all face unique challenges in fueling our bodies in a way that honors God. But the good news is that we serve a God who doesn’t leave us high and dry. Proverbs 3:6 tells us, “...in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” There’s that all-encompassing language again! In all our ways, we are to submit to Him, but in return, He promises to lead us with His divine guidance and wisdom—and generously so, as James tells us.
So by all means, do your research. Seek medical advice. Test different food approaches and see how they work with your body. In fact, I believe the Lord can work through all of those things! But above all, seek His wisdom in the process. I’ve learned that, while it may not always be in our timing, He will honor that request every time.
Tuesday’s Reflection
What’s your biggest challenge in eating well and having a healthy approach to food? Spend some time today asking for His wisdom and guidance in your next steps.
