30 Sep, 2009
You Gotta Take Care of Yourself
Kids Eat Few Fruits, Veggies
Associated Press
Fewer than 10% of U.S. high-school students are eating the combined recommended daily amount of fruits and vegetables, a finding that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention called "poor" in a report.
The report, based on 2007 data, found that 13% of U.S. high-school students get at least three servings of vegetables a day and just 32% get two servings of fruit. Fewer than one in 10 get enough of both combined.
Get the rest of the story at the Wall Street Journal online
Photo Provided by: ScienceDaily.com
Daniel 1:8-16 (The Message)
But Daniel determined that he would not defile himself by eating the king's food or drinking his wine, so he asked the head of the palace staff to exempt him from the royal diet. The head of the palace staff, by God's grace, liked Daniel, but he warned him, "I'm afraid of what my master the king will do. He is the one who assigned this diet and if he sees that you are not as healthy as the rest, he'll have my head!"
But Daniel appealed to a steward who had been assigned by the head of the palace staff to be in charge of Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: "Try us out for ten days on a simple diet of vegetables and water. Then compare us with the young men who eat from the royal menu. Make your decision on the basis of what you see."
The steward agreed to do it and fed them vegetables and water for ten days. At the end of the ten days they looked better and more robust than all the others who had been eating from the royal menu. So the steward continued to exempt them from the royal menu of food and drink and served them only vegetables.
What does God's Story scripture tell us about caring for our bodies?
There is a little history to understand. Daniel wasn't simply a vegetarian; his diet choice came about because of his Jewish belief system. The food off the king's table was offered to idols before it was served. This is why Daniel didn't want to eat the food; he would become defiled.
With that understanding there is something significant for us, living as part of the "Fast Food" generation, to learn. It is important for us to take care of ourselves.
Gifts we receive take a prized place on our shelves, and we keep them in the best shape we can. God gave us our bodies as a gift, and likewise we should take the best care of them we can.
Daniel's commitment to God not only protected is spiritual body, but it kept his physical body healthy. That care Daniel took later led to close service to the king.
How can we connect today's God's Story scripture to our lives?
This is not an easy thing for me to write, because I'm not very good about taking care of my physical body. Truth is, I don't eat the best or exercise as often as I should. I understand that it is a hard thing to care for yourself. It is pretty obvious though from Daniel's story that taking care of the body is something God will honor.
This doesn't mean we all need to run out and start eating only veggies and join the local gym. It could mean taking some steps though to better honor God with the physical bodies He has given us. Try cutting out some of the sweets. People who spend a lot of time in labs have told us what the best diet looks like. How about less time in front of a screen and more time walking, running, or doing something active?
How can we connect today's story, God's Story scripture, and our story to others?
To be honest, my biggest struggle is trying to get motivated to take better care of myself. My health is good enough that it doesn't keep me from doing anything, but what more could I do in better health? Am I setting up major health problems for myself later in life? Will I be less able to serve God in ministry because of poor health?
One of the cool things about Daniel's story is that the King's servant and the King himself noticed the difference in the health of Daniel and his friends. What doors of conversation would open up when our friends noticed we were taking better care of our physical bodies? Maybe we would have a chance to share about a God that loves us enough to give us a body; one that allows us to enjoy the world in which we live.
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