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BREAD FOR THE JOURNEY BLOG@ Rhythms of Grace: a Journey into RestSustenance for the journey into rest and peace
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THIS SERIES: CREATE SPACE FOR FRUITFULNESS  Let’s face it, modern life is unhealthy. We may have all manner of convenience food literally at our disposal, the latest labour-saving devices, and multi vehicles parked outside our houses—the stuff of dreams, 50 years ago. We may be smoking less, living longer (with the help of medication), and have better dental health, but the western world is showing alarming increases in ailments such as heart disease, diabetes and obesity, not only in the adult population, but in children too. And, in the midst of all this plenty, millions of people suffer from malnutrition and from scurvy! As we imbibe chemicals by the packetful, and flick through tv channels from our sofas, it’s a good idea to reflect on what our particular lifestyles are doing to our bodies—and because we don’t live our lives in compartments—our souls and spirits? Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honour God with your bodies. [1 Corinthians 6:19-20] If our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, then maybe it’s time those temples also had a spring clean? FASTING A good place to start is with a fast—and very appropriate in this liturgical season of Lent. Fasting is an important tool in spiritual warfare, which is not the focus here; but it is also about recalibrating, cleansing and sharpening us up—mind, body and spirit. A fast helps to reposition us in terms of our eating habits, and cleanses the body, clearing out toxins. At the same time, it improves our spiritual faculties and receptivity, weakens addictions and strongholds, and enhances our ability to receive from the Lord the power we need for living. There are different types and lengths of fast: some advocate water only, some just fruit juice, and others champion eating just vegetables. Some fasts last days or even weeks, others for a single meal or food group—processed sugar for example.* If you are new to fasting, and feel like you couldn’t possibly attempt it, perhaps you could start by fasting to lunch time one day a week. As you feel more comfortable this could be extended to mid-afternoon, then to the evening meal or longer. Alternatively, you could have a day when you just consume fruit. Fruit has great cleansing properties; making a combination into a smoothie apparently helps the body digest the vitamin content more quickly, and is surprisingly satisfying. REAL FOOD Then maybe we could continue the process by replacing at least some of our diet with ‘real’ food—food that has no chemical additives or processes, food that is cooked from scratch. And perhaps as the year goes on, this proportion could be increased, little by little? We are blessed with such an amazing array of raw ingredients, and magazines, books and websites brimming with helpful advice, let’s take some time to celebrate and enjoy it all. Buying everything organic might be beyond our resources, but let’s do something. And let’s invest our eating and drinking with faith: Worship the Lord your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. [Exodus 23: 25] Biblical blessing is about the empowerment to thrive—and that’s just what we need our food to do for us. FEASTING Good eating habits are not just about developing a healthy diet, as important as that is; the Bible is also a great proponent of feasting. ‘Real’ food can include a weekly feast, as well as holidays and festivals. The heart of a true feast is worship; and as we celebrate, we can expect an encounter with the Provider of it all. One of the problems many people encounter with feasting is the return to normal eating patterns afterwards. Often appetites enlarge, old addictions return, and discouragement settles in. This is where a regular fast might be considered. EXERCISE AND REST In addition to streamlining our eating patterns, our bodies also need both exercise and rest. So many of us spend our days sitting—unavoidable with many modern jobs, but extremely detrimental to our health. Movement of varying intensity is vital for our lymphatic systems, our cardiovascular systems and our joints, to name but a few. If you don’t already take some form of exercise, consider starting some today; there is something health-enhancing out there which is just right for you—even if you have physical limitations. Not only are there benefits to our bodies, exercise also releases feel-good hormones, and make us generally more alert and less fatigued. We are created as triune beings, body, soul and spirit—anything we do that enhances good health and well-being in one part, has a knock-on effect in the others. So, if you want a healthy soul and spirit—don’t neglect your body! However, to keep things in balance, we need rest as well as exercise; we need to make time to refuel and refresh our physical bodies. For fitness enthusiasts, the importance of rest days is frequently emphasised: "Without adequate rest, you can experience burnout, a lack of energy, and decreased motivation. Scheduling rest days, and ensuring you take them, is equally as important as time on your bike." [Sarah Lauzé,] Rest also has benefits for the health of our brains and general well-being. Exercise balanced by rest helps keep us physically fit. Add to these, regular opportunities to detox, along with a good pattern of eating, and our temple-bodies will be spring-cleaned and ready for action! THIS WEEK’S GRACE RHYTHM
RESOURCES*A variety of fasts are described in the informative site, www.freedomyou.com. Please note, I have not fasted for the lengthy periods suggested in some sections of this site; and would want to do much more research before attempting. In addition, as always, please see the note below on resources.]
NEXT WEEK: Continue your faith-journey... Declutter your Inner World GET IN TOUCH!
[Photo credits: Arifur Rahman (silhouettes); Brooke Lark (fresh food); Eddy Billard (hiker);
Etienne Girardet (screen) @ Unsplash, with thanks]
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