I had a small epiphany today. I would even say it was a bit of a revelation or inspiration. I have been struggling with a question for a few years. Yep, that’s right. Years. Here’s the back story.
I didn’t attend church for about 5 years. I was a single mother with 2 little girls. I was still me but doing a few things which we are counseled not to do. Part of those things was drinking coffee and tea and alcohol. On Easter Sunday 1993 – I think – I decided that I wanted to go back to church. That day I stopped doing all of the things. Like, just stopped.
It was easy for me to give up coffee and tea and the other things because it was about God. I just decided and stopped.
Now, about 10 years ago I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease along with candida and a few other health issues. I found a great doctor who gave me great advice and who has been treating me since then. I’ve had a few set backs and even some periods of time when it has been difficult to get out of bed.
My doctor advised me to give up gluten and grains and sugar. He said to eat a low carb diet. He said to eat vegetables and protein. He had some supplements specially blended for me and gave me a couple of prescriptions.
There are times when I follow his advice to the letter and then there are months and months where I just can’t seem to get it together. And here we are 10 years later and I am on the brink of being diabetic. That is partially because I follow my doctor’s advice much less often than I just do what I want.
So my question has been, why was it so easy for me to stop doing all of those things that were enjoyable all those years ago and I can’t seem to do that same thing for my own body?
And today was the day that an answer came to me while I was listening to the weekly Inklings Institute Instagram Live . I’m not sure if it is the full answer but it was a light bulb moment for sure. Here are the thoughts. I wrote them down exactly as they came to me:
- What if changing my diet and getting healthy is also about God?
- Changing my diet is not about me but it is about the Lord
- Everything is spiritual
- If I am healthy I can serve better
- If I eat right for my own body I can feel more love
- I can magnify my calling
All of this is seriously about my diet. When I eat incorrectly for my body I feel sluggish, I have a giant amount of inflammation, I have joint pain and I have a hard time focusing. When i eat right for my body I have energy, my blood sugar normalizes and I don’t start falling asleep in the early afternoon.
So I went to look for some things to back up these thoughts. Here’s what I found after just a few minutes of searching.
Elder John A. Widtsoe taught that “there is a spiritual meaning of all human acts and earthly events. … It is the business of man to find the spiritual meaning of earthly things. … No man is quite so happy … as he who backs all his labors by such a spiritual interpretation and understanding of the acts of his life.” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1922, pp. 96–97.)
D&C 29:34 Wherefore, verily I say unto you that all things unto me are spiritual, and not at any time have I given unto you a alaw which was btemporal; neither any man, nor the children of men; neither Adam, your father, whom I created.
And now you know why I say I’ve been thinking about it all wrong. Now, changing how you think about a particular topic is not very simple but I am determined to try. Starting tomorrow. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Is there anything in your life that needs a change in the way you think?
Always Choose Charity 