This take on one of the beatitudes comes from the Spiritual Exercises at Creighton University Online Ministry. I am in a group that is going through the full 34 week retreat in everyday life. This particular tidbit came from week 22; the same week that I found out that I am allergic to . . . well. . . food.God blesses those people who want to obey him more than to eat or drink.
They will be given what they want!
I am not allergic to all foods, but according to the blood tests, it turns out I am allergic to most grains, shellfish, and legumes. I am allergic to corn and soy as well. In the last week I have had to try to find a way to live without corn, wheat and soy in my diet. I wonder if anyone realized how dependent we processed American foodstuffs consumers have become on corn, and soy products in our foods? Everything that comes from the store has either corn syrup, corn starch or corn oil in it. If not corn oil, then soybean oil.
I got a crash course in food processing on my first trip to the grocery store after my diagnosis as I was trying to determine what I could or couldn't eat. Even trying to find yogurt without corn syrup was a hard thing to do.
The two hardest things for me to give up will definitely be popcorn, which I used to eat every day after work, and gum, which I used to chew in my car when I drove. Gum probably moreso than popcorn because the need to chew gum when I drive is almost an obsession.
My nine year old daughter finally came up with the easiest way for us to shop. She said, "Mom, you just have to look for the stuff that has the least ingredients." She is right, the fewer ingredients the less processed the food the less likely that there will be corn or soy in the process. Pretty soon I will be buying all raw foods. Won't that be fun for me, the one who doesn't cook!!!
So, I have determined that I will be giving up so much just trying to learn how to eat what I can eat this lent that I am not going to try to give up anything else. I think getting this new diet under control will be enough of a challenge.
At least God spared me and didn't make me allergic to chocolate, so long as it is the expensive kind of chocolate with nothing but cocoa and pure cane sugar!
Pax
1 comment:
(((poor you!!)))
if you think about it, seriously -- what did Jesus eat? all of the foods that were unprocessed and needed really to be consumed that day because of lack of refrigeration, or they used salt as a preservative.
living without wheat? are you able to eat oatbran? bulgar, barley? other grains -- a trip to the health food store is in order as well as some lit on whole food and raw food diets.
it is an adjustment, but i am betting you will do just fine (i wish someone would tell me i am allergic to bad carbs......)
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