Taste It On the Way Down

Have you ever had one of those days? You’re crazy busy with work, school, kids, appointments, family responsibilities and on and on it goes. You’re so busy doing what busy women do, that it doesn’t even dawn on you that it’s already 2pm and you haven’t even eaten lunch yet. Sound familiar? By the time you take a break and breathe, you are so outrageously hungry that you probably need to wear a “Caution: Ravenous Woman Zone: Enter at Your Own Risk. For Your Safety ~Please Watch Your Arms and Legs.” sign around your neck, warning the masses of the danger of getting too close to you while you’re feeding. OK, I’m exaggerating a little, but far too often we eat on the run or we scarf down our food so fast that we barely even taste it before we’re off and running again. We’re worried about all the other things of life and don’t time to care for ourselves. This should not be!

This was the case with Mary and Martha. You know the story. Martha was busy getting ready for company and preparing a big meal. Mary was sitting at the feet of Jesus soaking in everything He had to say and savoring the experience. Martha complained and Jesus responded by saying, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed~ or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:41-42) The message is clear. We need to slow down and concentrate, marinate, and absorb the one thing that is needed...a devotion to Jesus. After running around all day, giving, giving, giving until we’re empty, is it any wonder that we feel like stuffing our faces to fill ourselves back up? We think we have no time to rest, to ‘Taste and see that the Lord is good’ (Psalm 34:8) but in actuality, if we don’t make the time, the time will never come. We will trash our bodies with unhealthy habits and slowly be on spiritual starvation mode. Not a pretty thought.

So this is my encouragement to all of us. Stop and smell the coffee. At least 3 times a week, give yourself permission to sit down at the table for at least 45 minutes and eat a meal while have some good old fashion conversation with someone. Eat slowly and enjoy every bite. Don’t talk about your day to day activities or all the demands on you, but make a conscious effort to branch out into other areas of conversation. Talk about the dreams you’d like to pursue, things that you appreciate about you life or family, ways that you have seen God working in your life or the lives and the lives of others, or even discuss something you read in your quiet time that struck a chord with you. If you will make this a habit, I can guarantee you will be less stress, obsessed, and depressed and more likely to be healthier in your eating habits. Give it a try! It’s way better than getting a speed eating ticket from the food police.