Other Moments
by Rob Rawls
Intentional eating has been harder for me than I thought it would be. Actually, I thought it was going to be easy. It’s just food after all and it’s just forty days. Not a problem… Right? Not so much.
While some days have been easier than others, there hasn’t been a day in which I haven’t been challenged. Does the restaurant have a vegetarian option? Should I support a local grocery store even if the produce isn’t locally grown? How about the families that can’t afford healthier or locally grown food? Like most things, I am finding that paying attention to the ethics behind my choices has led to more questions and there isn’t always an easy answer.
There have been some nice moments, though. A trip to the grocery store that felt spiritually infused. Baking bread. Discovering that I actually like tempeh.
And then there have been the other moments…
During the first full week of Lent, I got a cold. My partner offered to pick up some matzo ball soup from The Bagel on his way home and I told him that would be awesome. Ten minutes later, I remembered that my plan for intentional eating didn’t include chicken broth. I ate the soup anyway. A few nights later, we went to see a movie and I gave in to my temptation and got a box of gummie bears. Work was giving me a miserable headache last week and I decided that I needed a cold bottle of Coke.
The hardest part for me has been remembering the purpose behind my commitment. I wrote in my first post that my goal was to find ways to remember the gifts from God. I haven’t really found a way to do that yet. In fact, I didn’t offer thanks to God once before eating today.
Changing what I’m eating hasn’t changed how I’m eating yet. I am still caught up in the day-to-day during most of my meals and quick to forget the nourishment that God is providing.
As I write this post tonight, I am trying to remember that Lent is a season and not a get rich quick plan. The discipline that I’ve chosen to take on isn’t going to change my habits over night or make every moment more sacred. Disciplines don’t work that way. For now, I’ll take a moment here and there and try again tomorrow.
Tags: Rob
March 12th, 2010 at 3:12 pm
For me, intentional eating is about opening up the awareness of all of the factors that go into our food choices. Rather than feeling guilty, I try to celebrate that I have choices. Most of the time I choose based on my ethics and priorities, but sometimes I choose to celebrate the perfect sensation of a cold, sugary Coke. Rock on, my brother!