31 days of healthy, holy living

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. Deuteronomy 6:5 

 

             I found The Nester through A Holy Experience and I am intrigued.  She is hosting a 31 day challenge, 31 days of writing on one topic, any topic.  I like the idea of being mindful about something, of spending the month challenging myself to think about one topic and, hopefully, make some changes in my life as a result.  So, I will be spending the next 31 days thinking about, studying and writing about healthy, holy living.

But what does that mean?

              I recently read a book that really caused me to stop and think about one aspect of my walk with the Lord.  The book, EveryBody Matters: Strengthening Your Body to Strengthen Your Soul by GaryThomas, really convicted me about the link between physical discipline and spiritual discipline. You see, I tend to think of my walk as a purely spiritual exercise.  Like many Christians, I put an emphasis on the growth of my soul and have largely ignored the connection between my spiritual life and my physical life.   Gary Thomas asserts that physical discipline is necessary to become “instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.” (2 Timothy 2:21)

                This really shouldn't be news.  The Apostle Paul referred to physical discipline in 1 Corinthians 9:27: “No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”  This verse is toward the end of a passage that compares living the Christian life to running a race.  Paul says that part of running our race is keeping our bodies under control.   A commentary on 1 Corinthians 9 by Jamieson, Fausset and Brown calls this the “keeping under of our natural self-seeking, so as, like Paul, to lay ourselves out entirely for the great work.”  This kind of physical discipline isn't about maintaining a certain dress size or looking good for summer swimsuit season, it’s about putting to death the desires of my flesh so that I can live more fully for the Lord.

                Paul writes more about this soul/body connection in Romans 8.  What interests me most about this chapter is the comparison Paul draws between life controlled by the Spirit and life controlled by the sinful nature.  Romans 8:5 says, “Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.”  We all have a choice.  We can choose to live according to the desires of our sinful nature, the desires of our flesh, or we can choose to live according to the desires of the Spirit.  We cannot have it both ways.  But the good news, according to Romans 8:13, is that it is “by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body.”  Putting to death my sinful nature isn't something I am called to do on my own; it is something I can only do by the power of the Spirit. 

                I was talking to someone about this recently and the person commented, “well, but we don’t want to get too carried away with this.  I mean, there’s nothing wrong with my comfort food.”  I had to think about this for a while.  On the one hand, that’s true.  There’s nothing wrong with your chocolate cake (or whatever) in moderation.  It’s the idea of comfort food that gets to me.  You see, turning to that piece of chocolate cake for comfort is making the cake an idol.  I think this is part of what Paul is talking about in Philippians 3:18b-19, “…many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.  Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.”  These people, who Paul describes as enemies of the cross of Christ, put their appetites and desires first.  Think about that: how many times have I turned to food for comfort or fulfillment or pleasure instead of turning to the Lord, who is the only One who can truly satisfy my desires?

                It’s funny that it took a book to connect all of this for me.  I have experienced the real comfort of the Lord and can compare it to the false comfort of chocolate.   I know that my most meaningful times of prayer nearly always happen when I am running.  I know that when I am being more disciplined about my physical life, I tend to be more disciplined about my spiritual life.  To me this is all a part of following Paul’s instructions to “honor God with your bodies.” (1 Corinthians 6:20)

                So this is what I want to focus on in the next 31 days.  I want to talk about the practical aspects of being physically disciplined and to that end I will post my food and exercise diary, possibly some recipes and thoughts about the kind of exercise that works for me. I also want to talk about the spiritual connection.  How does being physically disciplined help me in my spiritual life?  What is God showing me through this renewed dedication?  I am really looking forward to this opportunity to be more deliberate and thoughtfult as I learn to take better care of this body that God has given me as an instrument of His service.

We belong to the Lord

If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. 

So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. Romans 14:8

After the first fog of grief lifted, one of things that I thought about most when Becky died was my own mortality.  I was almost 34 when she died so maybe that is the age when people often start thinking about the possibility of death.  I don't know.  What I do know is that Becky dying made me feel old.  Sounds strange, I know.  Maybe it is because it was my first real taste of death.  I mean, you expect grandparents to die.  Sisters are supposed to grow old with you.

I've been thinking about my mortality again lately.  I have been having this pain in my side.  I've been to the doctor about it a lot.  I've been poked and prodded.  I've had gallons of blood drawn.  My doctor doesn't see anything wrong, he doesn't know why I'm having pain.  So he ordered a CT Scan.  For some reason, scheduling the CT Scan was the moment I thought something might be truly wrong.  Something about big machinery and the ability to see inside my body, I guess.

Anyway, I've been thinking about it.  What if there is something major wrong?  What if my kids have to learn about things like cancer and chemotherapy?  What if it is something else, something chronic and disabling?  How would these things change who I am and what I am called to be?

I am not usually a worst-case-scenario kind of girl.  In fact, I generally believe everything will be perfect.  I expect the best in every situation...probably because I've so rarely been faced with actual worst cases.  Waiting for the results of this test, I realized: there is no worst case.  The price has already been paid for my worst case scenario.  Jesus died so that I would be spared the worst case penalty.

Everything else is just the life that He chooses to give me.  So, if I live, I live for the Lord.  If I die, I die for the Lord.   No matter what happens, it is all for the Lord.

When I think about things like this I think about the "what ifs".  You know: what would my husband do; what would my kids do; what would happen to the house/the bills/the laundry.  These are silly things to think about.  If I got sick or died, my husband would survive.  My children would go one living.  Decisions would be made, for sure, difficult decisions.  Who knows how it would all work out.  But that is not worth worrying about.  More than ever I understand Jesus' instructions in Matthew 6:34 "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own."

I recently read a quote: "Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy."  That is the truth.  Worrying will not change tomorrow.  I do not know what will happen tomorrow.  But I can be present today, be joyful today, love the life I have today.  And that is what I am going to do.

In an instant: Becky's story

     My sister died almost two years ago.  I'm afraid this will be a recurring theme here so you should probably hear the story.  My little sister, Becky, 32 years old.  Wife to Jacob.  Mother to Amity (who turned 10 three days after the accident) and Dara (8).  Becky was a lover of Jesus.  She was a runner.  She was a reader.  She was 4 months away from finishing her Doctor of Pharmacy.  She was smart as a whip, goofy and had the quickest sense of humor I've ever known.  Missing her is like an ache that will never go away.

     That year, 2010, we celebrated Christmas at my house.  I live about halfway between Spokane, Washington (where Becky and her family lived) and Corvallis, Oregon (where my parents and other sister live).  So, in the spirit of meeting in the middle, we all converged on my house.  Thankfully our house is fairly large but, with 7 adults and 4 kids, we were pretty crowded.  It was a great kind of crowded though.  We ate, laughed, played cards, goofed around and celebrated together.

     On Sunday, December 26, everyone headed back to their homes.  Becky had to start a new rotation for her Pharmacy degree the next day.  She was so excited about it and about nearing the end of this program that she had worked so hard on.  Wednesday, December 29 was a wintry, cold day.  Ice storms were forecasted so Becky packed a bag in case she decided it was too dangerous to drive home that evening.  Late that afternoon Becky decided it would be safe to drive home if she left her rotation a little early.  So she headed home.  Approximately 10 miles from her home, Becky hit a patch of ice and her car slid into the path of an oncoming truck.  She died on impact.

     There are so many things in this story that beg the question: "what if."

What if we hadn't gotten together right before that?  What a gift that was!

What if she hadn't gone to work that morning?

What if she had decided to stay in town rather than drive home?

What if the pickup hit her car in a slightly different spot?

What if, what if, what if?


Here is one thing I have learned in all of this:  everything can change in an instant. What does that mean?  It means I need to treasure every second, to live life with the understanding that this moment could be my last.  It wouldn't be a bad thing; I am fully prepared to die.  In fact, my own death is actually less of a fear for me than the death of another loved one.  I know my own death will only be a celebration for me, entering into the presence of my Lord.   And Becky experienced that celebration when she died.



   

Blessed be the name of the Lord

Then Job arose, and rent his mantle and shaved his head, and fell upon the ground and worshiped, and said, "Naked I came out of my mother's womb, and naked I shall return thither.  The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord."  In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.  Job 1:20-22

Job is not a role model most people would choose.  It's too frightening to pick him, to ask God to make you more like him.  What if God sends you challenges like Job's to help you develop character?  No thank you.

Job is a man for whom everything has gone right.   Right at the beginning of the book he is described as being "blameless and upright", he "feared God and shunned evil."  He had a large family and was prosperous.  People respected him.  He was worried about his children but, overall, his life was pretty good.

Then Satan gets up to his wily ways and God allows him to make Job's life difficult.  In a fairly short period of time, Job's experiences significant, devastating financial losses and his children are all killed.  Now, Satan is betting that Job will turn his back on God because of these tragic events.  But what does Job say?  "Blessed be the name of the Lord."  He acknowledges that he came into this world with nothing, that he will leave this world with nothing and that everything he has in the mean time is a gift from God.

My favorite part?  "In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly."

This is where Job is my role model.  Many times have I taken God's gifts for granted and when they are taken away from me, I lash out in anger, grieving God with my sin and my lack of faith in Him.

It's hard to talk about participating in the sufferings of Christ.  No matter how difficult my circumstances have been, there is no comparison to the suffering that Jesus joyfully experienced, all for me.  My suffering is but a hangnail compared to His.

But there is something precious about suffering.  My suffering causes me to seek Him more fully, to be more open to His prompting and work in my life.  This does not always happen right away.  Sometimes I run from Him, run from truly experiencing the pain.  But ultimately He draws me to Him, loving me through the most difficult times.

This past weekend I attended a wedding. I know that's not what you expected to read.  Here I've been talking about suffering and now I bring up a wedding.  But this weekend's wedding was the most painful I've ever attended.

You see, this weekend my sister's husband got remarried. It wasn't so long ago, just 14 short years, that I watched him promise to love my sister until death parted them.  And he honored that promise.  He loved her beautifully until, and even after, the cold winter day when she lost her life.  I couldn't love him more for the way that he loved her.  And I am so happy that he has found this new love and happiness.  I am happy for him.  I am happy for my nieces.  It even makes me proud of my sister, because her husband's desire to love and commit this second time shows me that she loved him well.  So, yes, it was a joyful wedding.

But, oh, how painful as well.  Underneath my smiles were tears.  Tears for all we have lost.  Grief for the grandchildren my sister will never hold, grandchildren that will be loved by this new wife.  Sadness for all the plans we made and never accomplished.  I missed my sister.  I miss her every day.   Even on her husband's wedding day.

And then God whispered to my heart.  Daughter, do you see how I am grieved when you choose a different way?  When you ignore the plans I have for you in favor of your own imperfect way?

That is suffering.

I am reminded of the words of the Psalmist:

As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. Psalm 42:1

I long for you, God.  Not my sister.  Not another day.  Not my own desires.  I long for you.

Deer in our yard.  We counted 16 that evening.

Still giving thought

I kind of forgot all about this blog.  I had good intentions when I started it.  I just went back and read the entries I had posted and they seemed pretty good.  So, where have I been?

Busy, I guess.  Too busy to write things down.

Or maybe too scared.

When I read these posts I am instantly transported to a time when life seemed much easier.  It is easier for me to write and "give thought to my steps" when things seem to be going smoothly.  

Things don't always go smoothly.  And God has been using the last couple of years to teach me about that.  And about trusting Him through the hard times.

You see, almost two years ago my 32 year old sister was killed in car accident.  I can still hear the phone calls, like it happened yesterday.  I can still see my dad's completely crushed face when we picked him up at the airport.  I can still feel my precious nieces when they held on to me the next morning.

Sometimes life sucks.  Sometimes people die way too early.  Sometimes lives are shattered.  But, still, God is faithful.  I remember that.  And it helps.



So, I am going to revive this blog.  I will share things that I've learned in the last couple of years.  I'll share things I'm still learning.  I'm still giving thought to my steps.  You'll see.

The fields are ripe for harvest

"Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Matthew 9:37-38

I've lived around agriculture for almost my whole married life. It has only been the last two summers, though, that I have been so intimately connected to harvest. You see, at the start of our marriage my husband worked as a farm chemical salesperson. So, yes, he was involved with farming and farmers. Yes, his work was very different depending on the season and, yes, we would have considered ourselves an ag family. We just weren't as close to things as we are now.

Two years ago my husband took a position as a farm agronomist for a large dry land wheat farm in Eastern Oregon. He loves it. He is much more connect to the farm and to the everyday workings of the farm. Now he is actually farming...not just helping farmers.

So, this is harvest season. They started with green peas at the beginning of July (which was late because we're having a cool summer) and now they have moved on to wheat and lentils. It is busy and Chris isn't home very much. Still, I am grateful for this season of harvest.

Being so intimately connected to harvest has been very thought provoking for me this year. There was one field of peas that didn't get harvested this year because the cannery couldn't take it. I think it will be harvested for dry peas later and we have insurance on the field but, still, there was a feeling of loss watching those peas dry out. What a waste! I felt sad about all the preparation that had gone in to that field that was essentially for nothing.

Then I thought about how God views the harvest of souls. In the book of Matthew Jesus told us to ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest field. But what if the workers aren't willing? What if we don't have time or interest in the harvest? I was sad about a wasted field of peas. Imagine how sad our Lord would be if a "field" of souls was left unharvested! 2 Peter 2:9 says that the Lord does not want "any to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." So, let's get out there and do some harvesting!

Goals and plans

About a year ago (actually, August 11) I made a goal. I wanted to lose 50 pounds. And you know what, I almost have. So far I've lost 45 and I feel great. I don't know when those last 5 will come off but I'm still working on it. More importantly, I'm in the best shape of my life. I'm running nearly every day and I feel great.

Earlier this month I ran a 5k with a good friend of mine. It was a great time and I felt so great about the accomplishment. So, we have decided on a new goal. We are training to run a half marathon on October 2. I'm so excited about it...which seems strange because I'm also scared to death! I think it is great to have goals and it is something that I'm working on in other areas of my life too.

So, a half marathon this year and next year maybe a whole marathon...it would be great to finish a marathon before I'm 35 (which means next year is it!).