Our Bodies as Temples of the Holy Spirit

 

 

 

 

 This is Day Number Four of my Daniel Fast.

 

     The foods that I cannot eat have not been much of an issue so far, but these coffee cravings are still killing me!

 

     As I lay in bed this morning I went back and forth trying to decide whether or not I was going to have coffee when I got up.  I knew that I had to make a commitment one way or the other before I got up so that I was "resolved" when I went to the kitchen.  (I think I mentioned that on the Daniel Fast the only liquid that you are to drink is water).

 

     I started thinking about the reading passage for "day two" from "The Daniel Cure" book that I had purchased.  The first paragraph was: Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?  You are not your own; you were bought at a price.  Therefore honor God with your bodies. - Corinthians 6:19-20

 

     I started to rationalize. O.K... I can see honoring my body by not eating unhealthy things like sugar, useless carbs and even meats and dairy for awhile, but "they" haven't really proven that coffee is bad for us and some studies even say that it's good for us, so why should I not drink coffee if it's not necessarily bad for my body.                                                                     

 

                             

 

     And I remembered my daughter asked me just last night why I would restrict myself in any way with food after having gone through six weeks of having my jaws wired shut and living on a very limited liquid diet. I felt myself getting weaker by the minute...

 

    Then I reminded myself that the difference between this fast and any other time that I have tried to watch what I eat, is that this fast is supposed to be about "God Power," versus "willpower". 

 

     It was a good reminder, because I'm quite sure that my willpower alone would not have stopped me from making that pot of coffee.

 

     I also reminded myself that I had been weaning myself from coffee for a full two weeks before I went completely without it, so hopefully the worst part is over.   And I realized more fully how very much I have been relying on coffee to function in the mornings.

 

     I thought about having to go online and tell whoever reads this blog that I broke down on the fourth day and had coffee. Then the "community" part of this fast hit home.  If you are on the Daniel Fast or Daniel Diet, they strongly urge you to do it with at least one other person or at least tell other people about what you are doing.  That way, you have committed yourself and other people besides you know what you are doing.  It definitely makes it harder to say, "Ah, never mind.  I guess I'll do that Fast another time."  So the way I see it, whoever reads this blog is my community and indirectly (at this point anyway), you are supporting me.

 

     The best thing that this partial fast has done for me is get me to eat more fruits and vegetables, which is always one of my goals.  If I am not eating some of my "staples" that I usually do, such as bread, eggs and dairy, then I have no choice but to rely on fruits and vegetables more.

 

     I have also been eating more nuts, such as walnuts and almonds for protein sources.  I know that I need to get some bean soups made soon for variety, though.

 



 

     It seems that everything that you do in your life affects something else in your life.  For me personally, when I am eating healthier, I am more motivated to exercise more also.  The job that (up until two weeks ago) I held for the past seven years had the wonderful advantage of being able to use a top-notch gym at no cost.  Therefore, while I am home I am going to have to be more resourceful in making exercise a part of my routine because at this point, "routine" isn't something that I really have established yet.

 

     Next week I am going out of town with my husband for a couple of days, so I need to plan ahead and bring some "allowable foods" with me."  I will also have to really commit myself to eating healthy when we go out to eat.

 

     Today's reading in my book is this: Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint; but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom's instructions.    - Proverbs 29:18

 

     I'm going to need a whole bunch of restraint on this upcoming trip.  But after having made it through the coffee crisis this morning, I think I can do it!

 

Thanks for reading,

 

Jayne