But it has been on my mind to write something on my thoughts about my 2017 walking challenge and that has led to me considering what that has to do with my Christian life, my general wellbeing, and of course, food. So let's see if I can keep this up...
At this precise moment I am about to take very low-sugar flapjacks out of the oven. I went for a 9 mile walk this morning to consolidate the 600 miles I've achieved so far this year. Yes, that's right: 600. And we're not talking about steps. These are "I'm going out for a walk" miles (and occasionally leaving the car on the other side of Tesco's car park and tracking my walk to the store, around the store, and back to the car). I'm doing the #walk1000miles challenge this year and I love it. I have to walk 3-4 miles every day now to feel good. It's a good time to think, pray, worship, problem solve... Walking is amazing for my wellbeing.
I was struck by a verse in my Psalm this morning: Psalm 35:17, "The Lord be exalted, who delights in the wellbeing of His servant." Now, this Psalm is by David and is all about asking the Lord to deliver him from his enemies who are accusing him falsely and making his life a misery. My life isn't in that context but nevertheless the verse rings true for all Christians: the Lord delights in our wellbeing. And if the Lord considers our wellbeing a priority then I have to ask myself whether I consider it a priority for my life.
With the caveat that I depend on the Lord for life and breath and everything else, there are steps I can take to delight in my own wellbeing. Walking is one of those steps (no pun intended!). Cutting out chocolate and caffeinated coffee is another. And now I am attempting to cut down and cut out processed sugar - hence the flapjacks. I've been overweight all of my life and diets simply don't work for me. But I am concerned about my wellbeing so I'm taking these simple steps.
It's a matter of honouring the Lord and obeying Him. If He delights in my wellbeing then I should make His delight my privilege. It's also a matter of honouring others. Sugar is addictive. It makes me greedy and so I eat more. I eat far more calories in a week than some families in countries like Malawi eat in a month. So by cutting down on the amount of sugar I eat I will hopefully also cut down on the amount of calories I consume. And that is honouring the poor and the hungry especially if I have a little extra cash to give to charities which support the poor and the hungry as a result of not buying snacks.
If I'm honest I'm a little embarrassed by this post because it sounds like one of those typical female Christian blogs...but hey, maybe that's ok. Wellbeing isn't just for girls, and it isn't just for Christians either. I'm hoping my wellbeing will improve and maybe as a result of reading this yours will too.
