A Fresh Perspective

My husband has a thing for dandelions and by thing I mean vendetta. He jumps at the sight of those conspicuous feather like fronds and immediately crushes them to their death. Little does he know that just around the corner a little girl is picking a very similar little dandy, staring in awe of its perfectly round form and about to blow the seedlings while making a wish perhaps for a new bike or extra cobbler after dinner. Those wishful seedlings shall catch the wind and find a cozy nook in our yard only to produce yet another dandelion for my husband to crush.

Consider the despised dandelion and its unyielding determination to take over our lawns, but have a closer look and you will see that this outcast is a mere marvel with its flawless, cylindrical body formed by delicate tails of downy white. To the aforementioned little girl this is not a silly weed but a beautiful flower, one to wish on. But to my husband and many of us non wishing grown-ups we see the dandy as an ugly weed that plagues our beautifully mowed grass. So what is the difference here? Perspective.

We are just over two months of our dietary changes and we both have noticed some outstanding results. However,  the one thing I have most been challenged or convicted of is my perspective or lack thereof. I look back and see that food was an idol of sorts. I was never truly focused on nourishing my body but rather feeding it what it craved, which the majority of the time was an insane amount of sweets (and cheese!). Sure I ate organic, sure I had a salad with dinner, and of course I drank plenty of water....but only because I had to. These past two months have been so eye opening and humbling as I learn to nourish my body with foods rather than being in a constant state of indulgence. Now Im not saying that the occasional piece of chocolate is bad. But rather I challenge myself and you to consider: are the foods I put into my body life giving? Are they nourishing? Will they enable my body to thrive and function to the best of its ability?

Changing our perspective on food will unlock so much potential for our bodies. Eating how God intended us to eat, whole organic foods, should not be mistaken for eating what you crave or eating what will make you feel better, but rather you are eating to serve your body well, support health and ultimately life, which is indeed so fragile.

Now there is nothing wrong with truly appreciating a meal or its gracious chef, but when we find ourselves constantly thinking about food or running to the cookie jar when we've had a stressful day then we must change our perspective. One of the most precious liberties we humans have is the freedom to choose what we eat so why not choose wisely! My prayer is that we all can encourage each other to not take our bodies or the beautiful bounty of this earth for granted. Next time you see a dandy on your lawn or a bunch of kale at the grocery don't shutter in fear, simply look beyond your prejudices and try on a fresh perspective.