Eat

When I slow down to think about it, I'm amazed by how rarely we Americans let ourselves actually feel anything. We try to rush through grief, only to be surprised when it catches up with us six months down the road. We even fill our days with so much activity that we have a hard time feeling happiness.

Several years ago I decided that I was done answering, "How are you?" with a glib, "Fine." I don't give casual inquirers a laundry list of all my ailments, but I do try to answer honestly.

How are you? Tired.
How are you? Kind of overwhelmed.
How are you? Too busy.

During her time in Italy, Liz Gilbert focused on being able to be aware of the beauty that was around her. Although it's known as her pursuit of pleasure, it was actually her time of coming to terms with being an individual and being able to enjoy life for the simple pleasure of being alive. The beauty of Rome. The taste of gelato. The gift of daily life and moments of solitude. Learning to be alone without being lonely.

Sitting, savoring, experiencing each moment in a way that is similar to experiencing the food we eat.

Job 11:12 Does not the ear test words as the tongue tastes food?

Well, no, quite often we don't. We don't really hear anything nor do we really taste anything.

If you are going to read Eat, Pray, Love, you must understand that Gilbert is not a Christian, beyond the sense of being born and raised in a culture affected by Christianity. She makes choices that I hope none of my friends would make. Yes, she leaves her marriage. Yes, she quickly falls into another relationship. No, I do not believe any of this glamorizes divorce. She shares her heartache and her agony. She shares the intense loneliness and guilt that she goes through. Her year abroad is not a result of wanting to leave her husband. It's the result of realizing that she never learned to live life as an individual. Men were her addiction and she wanted to learn to be sober.

Facing your addictions is a noble quest. Learning to be OK with yourself and being present in your own life is a big first step.

Psalm 34:8 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusts in him.

You cannot give yourself to God if you do not know who you are.

Today, slow down a bit. Taste life. Savor the smell and taste of what's in front of you. Don't spend your time wondering about the next thing or last week or twenty years from now. Be where you are. Listen, taste, feel.

Eat.