Oh dear! I`m really not feeling so well so well today. I can`t sleep.

 

I made this delicious banchan last night for dinner---herb steamed eggs—a steamed version of the herb baked eggs I posted here on the blog last month. I tell you, it was really delicious and my meticulous Mom (who`s hard to feed) agreed on that. BUT!

 

I forgot I got allergies with steamed eggs! The last time I had them, 3 years ago in Hongkong, my face and neck swelled like a bloated fish and I felt I needed to go to the hospital. I also had to buy medicine from the local drugstore and use them even though I really can`t read or understand the labels. I just trusted the pharmarcist `cause he looked kinda cute. haha Kidding!

 

See how I got sick and look sicker and sicker that day in HK, 3 years ago…

Eating to our hearts content at breakfast.

{Those are my bff`s Raymond and Arjay}

Uh, oh…That pale face and forced smile…

Still trying to get a happy picture!

 

Ah, swollen face!!!

Collar now pulled up to cover the swelling…

Looking like someone who`s got a bad stomach…

{My hair looks really awful here! haha}

 

Now back to the story… I really think something`s wrong with me today. Aside from the itching and redness. I`m feeling quite good physically—I mean the muscles and all. I don`t feel tired or heavy or anything. But I think something`s wrong with my chemistry. Like something`s wrong inside. And I`m wondering why I never felt bad with fried eggs or any kind of eggs and just with steamed eggs.

 

Aaaah! Having allergies is hard.  I`m missing a lot on good food. And my head feels sick. I feel really sick.

 

And I remember Daniel when he was offered to be fed with royal food being trained as the king`s eunuch…

 

⁸ But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.  Daniel 1:8

 

That kept running on my mind over and over this week…because I`d been eating a lot of chocolates too… and the word “defiling yourself” just kept on convicting and convicting me.

 

 

To “defile” is such a tough word isn`t it? For me it meant doing something disrespectful and profane… For me it means violating something. Doing something a bad person would do to his foe. And I was thinking, now do I ever really want to be an enemy of myself?

 

In Yahoo dictionary, the world defile is defined this way:

1. To make filthy or dirty; pollute: defile a river with sewage.
2. To debase the pureness or excellence of; corrupt: a country landscape that was defiled by urban sprawl.
3. To profane or sully (a reputation, for example).
4. To make unclean or unfit for ceremonial use; desecrate: defile a temple.
5. To violate the chastity of.

 

Daniel thought that indulging (and even just feeding) on royal meat and wine meant defiling himself. Polluting, violating and doing something against himself, his own body.

I think I`m guilty of that. I think most of us are guilty with that. We eat everything we want to because that brings us pleasure, but we hardly think of how it affects us physically.

 

I guess we are just not fully aware of the gravity of the effects our food choices have on our bodies. Well, for me, I thought I was just being normal. I knew soda is not good and junk food will hurt my kidneys, but it won`t be bad if it`s not too much. I call it “not being too cautious” but never really knew that there is a term called “defile”, and that the same word actually applies to me when I make my daily, unconscious choices.

Ok. The steamed eggs are healthy. I`m just talking about food generally. And I that I should have remembered my allergy for steamed eggs before enjoying myself it. ;) Aaaah, regrets!

 

My friends, let`s all make healthy choices and love these bodies gave us. We really shouldn`t defile and be an enemy of ourselves all because of food. Let`s love ourselves the way God loves and values me.Never take this gift for granted. I feel that if we would defile these bodies, we would also defile that God who made us.

 

I suddenly remembered this verse: Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. Romans 12:1

I wonder if it also meant taking care of yourself physically… Hmmm…Maybe.

 

Help, me Lord! Help me to learn to love myself more as much as you love me and not violate this body that you have created. I want to worship you this way too!

 

Have a beautiful morning, friends!