Avoiding the Pendulum

Well, we are officially done with the fast. To remind you, we started fasting meats and sweets January 29th. Wednesday was our last day. So, 31 days of no meats and sweets. It’s been great, spiritually and physically.

Balance is always a good thing. I’m not too good at balance in some areas. Food tends to be one. Usually I am either really bad or really good. It’s hard for me to be in between. I really do prefer the way I’ve been eating even when not fasting, but the problem is, do I really want to do what I prefer? I guess the real question is, DO I REALLY WANT TO EXERCISE THE SELF-CONTROL AND SELF-DISCIPLINE NEEDED TO EAT THAT WAY?

So, I am just praying that God give me wisdom and understanding in how to handle the “freedom” of not being in a fast. The fast was great because I had to eat that way. Now that I don’t have to, will I be able to avoid that tendency of swinging all the way to the other side of the pendulum? Will I be able to “treat” myself sometimes, but not go overboard and look for reasons to treat myself every day? Will I be able to treat myself (the occasional pizza, coke, or candy bar for instance) at all or should I just avoid those foods indefinitely? These are the things I am thinking about, praying about, working through. Now that I’ve had a full month of “cleansing”…haven’t put an unhealthy thing in my body in 31 days…I want to be mindful and do the right thing, not only for me but as a model to my children. A great quote: "If you are modeling something other than what you are teaching, you are teaching something entirely different." We need to be healthy and walk in self-control.

I did take yesterday off. I ate whatever I wanted to. We went to Natchitoches to take care of some things (passports for the kids, etc.) I knew that for lunch I would have to make a decision to either keep doing what I was doing or splurge. I splurged. We went to The Landing…a well-known seafood restaurant around here. Even though I grew up around here, I had never been there. So, I made the decision to really experience it. I got crab cakes and fried green tomatoes. It came with green beans (not freshly cooked green beans…the southern style green beans which are cooked in fat and seasoned by cooking it with pork of some kind) and white rice, with hollandaise sauce sprinkled with crab meat. It was tasty, esp. the rice, sauce and crab meat. The green beans I didn’t eat after I took one bite…no wonder I never liked green beans growing up (I like freshly cooked green beans…not the fatty, mushy ones). The fried crab cakes and green tomatoes were alright, but a weird thing has happened. In fact, I noticed this the other night. We were traveling and there was really nothing to eat. I stopped at McDonald’s because my kids NEEDED to get out of the van and play. So, I ate some of their fries. Now, up until about a month ago, that was one of my favorite foods of all…McDonald’s french fries. The other night when I had them, I found myself really wishing I had some rice and beans and corn instead. I couldn’t believe it. Anyhow, that same thing happened today. I’m glad. Even though I hesitate to say this, I think I might be a full-fledged healthy person now, in thought and action…and preference as far as actual taste and cravings. Time will tell. I'll keep you posted.