Amy April Issue
What am I doing with what I’ve been given?
Now that I’ve made health and nutrition a priority in my life, it is always in the forefront of my mind. So the other Sunday as I’m sitting in church listening to a sermon on stewardship, I started thinking about my body and what I’m doing with it. Essentially, a steward is a person who has been trusted to take care of something given to them. We have all been given one body. Some of us may wish we were taller, shorter, skinnier (hey, I’m working on it!), but one thing is certain, we have all been given only one. What are we doing with it? Are we being a good steward of what we’ve been given? I’ve started asking myself this question every day. When I go to put something in my mouth I think, “Will this hurt me, or help me?” When I sit at the table and ask God to bless the food to the nourishment of my body, can I do that with a clear conscious? How many times have I prayed that prayer, knowing there was little to no nourishment in what I was about to eat? And even so, knowing there was little to no nourishment in what I was about to feed my kids!!!
Moms out there, I get it, I really do! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve looked up and it’s 5:00, one kid is pulling on my leg, one kid is crying, and I still have no idea what’s for dinner. It’s so easy in those moments to just order a pizza or run through a drive thru. But is that helping or hurting my kids? These beautiful children that I’ve been given, how am I nurturing them? What am I teaching them? I worry so much about teaching them to be good kids, how to behave, how to treat one another, how to have good manners and teaching them spiritually…but what am I teaching them in regards to stewardship? Am I teaching them to be good stewards of the body they’ve been given? Children will copy what you do, not what you say. How can I chastise them for constantly asking for cookies and candy when I’m the one they see reaching for the snickers at the checkout line? How much does it confuse them to see me buying all the junk I normally buy only to deny them it when we get home?
These are questions that I ask myself. After the kids are in bed and asleep and I’m alone with my thoughts, (a treasured time for any mom), this is what is on my mind.
So I have determined to be a better steward of my body, and be a better example of a steward to my kids. This does not mean that I am eating 100% perfect 100% of the time. If my kids or I go to a birthday party or another type of special occasion, we will all be enjoying a piece of cake. But I am going to try to make junk food the exception, not the rule. And to my shame, my kids aren’t really having the hard time with it that I am. My oldest son is just as content with some organic carrots or a slice of watermelon as he was with chips and cookies. And I have learned that my one year old will eat blueberries by the handful!
This has been such a journey for me already and I thank you for joining me. So far I am 10 pounds down (177!) and I have already had to purchase a smaller pair of jeans! I’m looking forward to the future and being a better steward! What are you doing with what you’ve been given today?
Here I go!! I hope you will join me as I tackle my weight and get healthy again! Tweet me @michelleamy2
*** Always consult your doctor with any health or medical questions you may have. Jen, is not a trained medical professional or employee of Heart Smart Minute, and does not speak on behalf of Alana Cole, Alana Cole Athletics Inc, or Heart Smart Minute and therefore the above mentioned entities assume no responsibility or liability for any communication on or off www.heartsmartminute.com or www.alanacole.com.