Stuffed

We are heavily influenced to eat too much, and mostly use food as every solution! 

During the process of selling our house, moving to a place one-fifth the size of what we're used to, and preparing for a month-long trip to the USA, I developed a condition known as GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease).

I was paralyzed by heartburn, which ultimately changed my eating habits—for the better.

Years before, my husband struggled with his health due to a stressful work environment. Because of his dietary changes, I transitioned to accommodate him.

I thought of myself as a healthy eater. I loved real, unprocessed, simple foods—but GERD proved otherwise.

Over the time I dealt with this condition, I had to reconsider every perception I had about food and habits. As you know, pain is a powerful motivator.

I did a lot of heart -searching, confronting uncomfortable truths about food, and in the process, developed new habits in the kitchen.

I also discovered our Camp Leader’s thoughts on eating and, over time, gradually adopted His approach.

Our Camp Leader decided that His campers would receive manna every day for the journey—a simple, fast food, served in different ways.

Manna—meaning “What is it?”—was the size of small seeds, whitish-yellow in color, and tasted like pancakes fried in vegetable oil. It was perfect for the journey they were on.

I was struck by the Lord’s heartbroken and disappointment when He heard complaints from 99% of His chosen campers, many of whom had been swayed by the Egyptians who joined the journey. Most of them grumbled about the manna and longed for the food they had in Egypt.

In Numbers 11, Moses reflects on the campers’ eating habits and their longing for the “better” food of slavery from their previous life.

In my own year-and-a-half journey, I too was confronted with a simple diet. All the foods I thought of as unhealthy—bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, and pancakes—were the only ones I could eat without pain.

I also found I could eat much less, as eating too much brought on burns and frustration.

It didn’t take long to realize that we are programmed to eat far more than we need. I learned that not eating can be a healthy habit, and that living off God's word is of far greater value and comfort.

Thus, I grew to fully trust our Camp Leader’s simple  approach to eating. As Moses said in Deuteronomy 8:3, “He humbled us, causing us to hunger and then feeding us with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach us that man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”

"I love being on an eternal camping trip with the One who knows what’s best for me, for us, and for them—eating every word You provide.

Awesome friends in a field of mustard near the Sea of Galilee, Israel, signal their flowering stage with a burst of bright yellow flowers, each with four petals and distinctive set of six stamens, marking the beginning of seed production.

Only in the arms of the One who loves us First, can we flourish.