Gentle Reader,
I’ve been about a 97% vegetarian for the last year-and-a-half. At first, I craved meat, sure that I wasn’t getting enough protein. Slowly but surely, my body adjusted. Liver function improved. I pushed back against the bad cholesterol that runs in my family. I’ve tried around 100 different recipes, give or take, mostly found on Pinterest. Every two weeks, I stock up on fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
This does not mean, however, that I’ve morphed into some “oh, I could never eat junk food again” kind of person. I continue to love junk food. My palette may have been forced to expand, but, at heart, I still want to eat like a teenager.
Today, I ate the biggest Arby’s sandwich I could get.
It was glorious.
Red meat is the biggest “no-no” when you’ve got a crappy liver, but, once a year (on my birthday) from now on, I will throw caution to the wind and have the roast beef (and, let’s get real, the curly fries). There’s enough struggle and striving in life. I believe that God encourages us to find bright spots of enjoyment as often as possible.
For me, it’s the roast beef.
And now all my ethical vegetarian and vegan friends/followers have fainted in horror.
Linking up with Kate and the authors (that sounds like a band name). We:
Go
“Do or do not. There is no try.” – Yoda
Wisdom from a galaxy far, far away.
We like to hedge our bets – try to do better, try to be there, try to commit, try to pray. What we really mean – I probably won’t, but I want to give off the impression that I will. Because we don’t want to disappoint anyone, ourselves included. We want to say “no” without actually saying “no.”
I’ve experienced this recently in the context of exercise. Having battled extreme fatigue and other ailments all year long, there are nights when I go to bed and promise myself, “I’ll try to exercise tomorrow.” Instead of just being honest – “I am too tired to do anything intense, but I can do gentle things and make time for rest” – I played mind games with myself. I rationalized and justified.
There’s only “do” and “don’t”, “yes” and “no,” sometimes “maybe,” if we really, honestly don’t know if we’ll be able to do something.
But there is no “try.”
You don’t try to write a book, you just write it.
You don’t try to build a business, you put in hours of hard work.
You don’t try to have a good marriage, you commit to your spouse.
You don’t try to love the Lord, you ask Him to give you a new heart.
It’s making choices and taking responsibility.
It’s that whole,
“But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.”
– Matthew 5:37 (NKJV)
And it’s knowing that the “yes” and the “no” are sufficient.
Stop
Photo credit: Clem Onojeghuo
Also linking up with the Ra-Ra Writers.