1 Kings 19:5 Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.”
Last week’s thoughts were about depression. Elijah was ready to die and told the Lord as much. This is the verse that follows. I find that many people I encounter have issues with sleep and diet. Ash Wednesday is this Wednesday and part of the journey of Lent can be embracing the fact that we are finite, physical beings. Our minds and our hearts can take us to such grand places that we sometimes forget that all these grand expressions are housed in a very ordinary flesh and blood body. Elijah needed a lot but first he needed to take care of his physical condition. I wonder how many of our spiritual and emotional problems would take on a different perspective if we simply got enough sleep and ate in a healthy manner. We are not solely our bodies; still part of the understanding of resurrection is that we will always be embodied. In Lent we often think of denying our appetites but maybe God would be more pleased if we just confronted our physical condition and accepted what we need to be the humans God made us to be. This week, how will you nourish your body with food and sleep?
Logan Memorial Presbyterian Church 