You know, one of the most difficult things about the fasting I've realized is that you are eliminating one of the most awesome gifts that God gave us: food. Life is rather dull without food. It gives us something to break up our day, and adds flavor to otherwise dull moments. It engages our senses on a level that nothing else can, and it is a regularly occurring infusion of varying creativity of flavors on our taste buds. Food brings people together. We socialize, talking and eating around a table often. Conversation goes down better with a full stomach, and we feel satiated by both. The effects that food has on our mood, our desires, our habits is far reaching. Food is very important, and not just because it provides us energy and sustenance.
When you take food away, soon after the desire to be as sociable can easily follow. We feel more dull as we miss the creativity that foods add to our daily palettes. The social lubricant of a shared meal is one of the most important constructs of society. When you are not eating, you can easily feel as an outsider to the vibrant and happy community of 'eaters'.
On my 60 day journey, I've attempted to continue to be a part of the 'food community' as much as possible. I've encouraged people that were at first very hesitant to eat around me to do so, and my family to continue to accept invitations to restaurants and social calls where meals were served. We have continued to host friends and family, and have celebrated holidays as normally as possible. When the man of the house fasts though, there is a bit of tip-toeing that occurs around it. People are hesitant to extend invitations and family is apprehensive to prepare the favorite holiday treats that they normally would. They all feel a sense of guilt it seems to be eating in front of you while you are abstaining. I can appreciate this, as it can be difficult at times. But the truth is that the social aspects of eating are very much just as important as the taking in sustenance part of eating. It is very interesting to me how close the relationship between eating and developing relationships is.
Without food, society would be much more fragmented, and social calls more dull. Without food, there would be less creativity and inspiration to try new things. The first risks that we take in life are very food-centered as well. As infants, food is forced on us and we have little say as to what food we consume. Whether it tastes good or not is beside the point since our taste buds are not developed. But as we become children, we quickly learn what our food preferences are, and attempt to cater our food choices to our preferences. Parents press for expanded palettes, and children resistance these small culinary adventures. After all, why should we eat what doesn't appeal to us? But as we mature we quickly learn that food is nutrition, and that in order to not be malnourished, we must expand that childish palette to accept foods that were previously reprehensible. As we add discipline to our diets, we learn to be adventurous and to take small risks. After some years we grow to enjoy the foods that our discipline has added to us, and learn how to combine foods into a symphony of flavors. We manipulate the food to mask the undesirable flavors and accentuate the desirable. We create combinations that lead to new adventures. We become risk-takers, and are better able to take life as a whole on as a result. I would even go as far as to say that an absence of willingness to take risks with our food can lead to stunted social development as well. One's unwillingness to eat a uncommonly prepared meal at someones house can limit future invitations and also social interactions.
What an amazing thing that food is. I am so thankful that God has given us such an amazing variance of foods to taste and manipulate boldly into endless flavors. I am anxious to be able to take part in this great piece of God's blessing for us once again. How loving our God is to make something that could have been so sedentary and so common, absolutely amazing and full of opportunity for creativity, risk, community, and fulfillment. Just think how boring food could be? What an amazing thing that we can let our use and consumption of food truly be worship to God as we pour passion into ourselves, others, and even our food creations.
The old adage that you never truly know what you had until you lose it can is full of truth for us. The trick though, is to see what we have without having to lose it to realize it. I'm thankful today that I've had this great opportunity to seek out a healthier future, but am also grateful of the new appreciation that I will have for something that I seldom considered, after all it being so common in my daily life.
Ecclesiastes 8:15
New International Version (NIV)
15 So I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun.
~Until tomorrow
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