faith

It’s been a 4-year journey to figure out how to manage my migraines. After a three-day, stay-at-home-in-bed episode, I knew that I needed to make some changes.

I had the sense that this was, at least in part, related to the food I was eating. We had just been camping and enjoyed eating all the camping treats we had grown to love. As I was taking another Skittle out of the bag during an especially intense game of Scrabble, I looked at the beautifully colored candy in my hand. I paused for a moment, thinking that the coloring was really bright, then popped it into my mouth.  Along with a few more.  And then a few more.

While I laid in bed the next day, I thought back to that moment.  Could it be the artificial dyes?

I went with only fresh fruits and veggies for six weeks. It was pretty boring and grocery shopping was rather depressing.  After all, I could really only eat food from one part of the store now.  But…the headaches did not return.

Other foods were gradually re-introduced, but the fast-food and highly processed foods were gone forever. Thankfully, I enjoy cooking and discovered how the use of pure spices more than make up for the chemical taste to which I had grown accustomed.

My husband and I recently took one of our Grands out for his Birthday Adventure. This means lunch with Nana and Poppa, a trip to Target for something to wear and something to play with as a family, then doing a fun park or museum activity together. The requested lunch destination was a nearby fast-food restaurant.

Our  four-year old Grand had eyes bigger than his appetite. Half of his burger was left on the wrapper while he went up for his dish of custard. True confessions here. I am a ‘burger and fries girl.’  Going to my favorite burger places and ‘enjoying’ a salad hasn’t always been easy or much fun.

Can you guess what I did?

I took one bite of the leftover burger, and then another.  To my shock, dismay and joy (all at the same time) — it didn’t taste at all like I remembered!

I discovered that I no longer had the taste for this fresh, never frozen, burger.  I had developed an appetite for better-for-me foods that was now actually preferred. Wow. I hadn’t seen that one coming!

It made me think about my spiritual journey. Is my ‘appetite’ for the things of the Lord — His Word, being in His Presence, serving alongside His people — growing stronger so that the people/activities of the world that once entertained/amused can no longer have a hold on me?

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness...” (Matthew 5:6)  Lord, draw me so close to You that I no longer have a taste for anything the world has to offer.