The day didn’t start very well. I have been exhausted the last few weeks so pushed snooze and slept in an extra hour and a half, skipping the gym. Unfortunately I had some wild dreams that caused my extra sleep to be restless. I don’t recall the dream particulars (probably wouldn’t tell if I did) but I will admit that I was angry -very angry- in my dreams. I can’t say that minimal food for one day caused my angry wild dreams, but it does make me wonder…
The day itself was pretty normal, although I must admit that there is a LOT more food talk going on with those of us on the Rice and Beans diet. I am thinking that food is on our minds more than usual.
My wife and I had dinner together about 5:30… hmmm rice, beans and water. We did, however, enjoy some good conversations about things other than our food.
I planned to do some house chores that evening while my wife attended a meeting. But I was so tired. I bagged the chores and took a hot tub instead. Ahhh. I read for a bit and then slipped down into the hot water… there are 45 minutes I cannot account for. I suspect I fell asleep. I went straight from the tub to bed. I never heard my wife come home, which was only 15 minutes after I climbed beneath the sheets.
Is anyone else feeling more tired that usual?
I wonder if my 500 calorie/day diet is behind my tiredness, or is it exhaustion from my last two weeks, or no caffeine? I don’t know, but it has me thinking…
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I was sent this by Beth Cuellar today, and sure has some interesting words.
ReplyDeleteHunger Is the Best Sauce (November 18)
Posted: 17 Nov 2009 11:00 PM PST
A satisfied soul loathes the honeycomb,
But to a hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.
(Proverbs 27:7)
IN THIS AGE OF AFFLUENCE AND ABUNDANCE, MANY OF US HAVE BECOME JADED. Tragically, we’ve lost our childhood sense of wonder at the big, wide world around us. We’ve bought so many things and been so many places, it’s impossible to impress us anymore. No matter what it is, we’ve been there and done that. Frankly, we are bored. The law of diminishing returns has set in.
There is an old adage that says, “Hunger is the best sauce.” When we’re not very hungry, we might add a little sauce to a dish to make it taste better. But the food doesn’t need any sauce when we are ravenously hungry; we appreciate it without any “help.” And this is exactly what Proverbs 27:7 is about: “A satisfied soul loathes the honeycomb, but to a hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.” When we’re full, we tend to get picky. But when we’re hungry, even bitter things become sweet. The principle here is that abundance presents a challenge for us. When we have not only what we need but more than we need, it is harder (most people naively think it is easier) to enjoy life. The poor man has the advantage of being hungry enough to enjoy every little thing.
As we mature, we learn that moderation really is a good practice after all. I love a What-a-Burger hamburger about as enthusiastically as a man could love any food on the face of the earth, but I find that I enjoy them more now that I don’t live in Texas and can’t get one any time I want it. I’ve gone down hard on this, but I’m gradually coming to see that, in THIS world, less is more.
You see, the feelings that we call “hunger” and “emptiness” (and we used physical food only as an illustration) are not to be avoided. They can be our best friends. I know that fact is hard to grasp now that we’ve lived so long in a world dominated by consumerism, but it’s true. Unmet worldly needs remind us of our need for God, and therefore play a very important role in our lives. In an affluent world, it’s possible to ruin our appetite for God with a worldly feast and delude ourselves into thinking we have what we need. But if that happens — if we are too full of temporal satisfactions to have any room left for God — then we’re in big trouble.
“Even God cannot fill what is full” (Teresa of Calcutta).
Gary Henry – Reaching Forward – November 18
Great post... thanks for adding this. Lots to chew on...
ReplyDeleteHey Bill, I posted a blog about beans here http://rediscoverworship.blogspot.com
ReplyDelete"Lots to chew on..."
Pun intended?