The gift of the feast
Finding holiday nourishment beyond the table
Turkey, mashed potatoes with gravy, stuffing, vegetables, bread, salad, eggnog, chocolates and the treats my mother and oma bake—I get excited when I think about all of the delicious food I'll eat at family gatherings this Christmas.
But I feel some anxiety as I think about these gatherings, because I have a habit of overeating. I've become acutely aware of this because two years ago, in November 2011, I made the decision to join a gym and pay more attention to my eating habits. Since that time, I've lost 100 pounds.
It is good to get together with family and friends over the holidays to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and to feast. At the same time, these occasions are a good opportunity to reflect on how much we eat and how privileged we are to enjoy these feasts.
Proverbs 23:19-21 says, "Listen, my son, and be wise, and keep your heart on the right path. Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags."
I worry about being gluttonous because, according to the United Nations, there are 870 million people in the world who are hungry. Who am I to overeat while so many wonder where their next meal will come from?
Self-control is one of the fruits of the spirit, and it's important for me to keep that in mind.
It's also important for me to ask myself why I'm eating.
Am I eating because I want to nourish my body and enjoy food in the company of family and friends as we celebrate the birth of Christ? That will no doubt be the case this holiday season.
But it could also be that I'll find myself—as I have so many times in the past—eating not because I'm physically hungry, but because I'm emotionally hungry.
Often I've eaten because I'm sad, or angry, or stressed, or lonely, or even just bored. I've turned to food to fill a void that ultimately only God, my family and friends can fill.
As I enter this holiday season, I want to make sure I'm eating for the right reasons.
The holidays are fun, but they can also be a stressful time for many people. For some, it's stressful because they don't have a lot of family or friends, or because they don't get along well with the family that they do have.
For others, it's stressful because their calendar is packed with holiday concerts, church functions, parties, family gatherings and last minute shopping. Adding overeating, more alcohol consumption than usual and less sleep than normal to the mix can leave us feeling fried.
It's important for me to remember 1 Corinthians 6:19-20: "Do you not know that your body is a temple 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 honour God with your body."
I want to honour the body God gave me and that means taking care of it through appropriate eating, exercise and rest—even during the holidays.
I'm looking forward to seeing my family and friends this Christmas. It is good to feast.
It is also good not to take these feasts for granted, to recognize the reason for the feast and remember that the feast is a gift.
All that we have is ultimately given to us by God, who gave His one and only son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
And that's more exciting than any amount of eggnog and dessert.
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