Comfort Foods, July 21
Daily Reflections from Inside the Cancer Journey
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Written by Karen Wonders
“Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food” (Isaiah 55:2 ESV).
Ice cream. Mac and cheese. Pizza. French fries. Fried chicken. Brownies. Mashed potatoes.
No, I’m not talking about the diet of a heart-broken teenager. These are all the foods that were brought to my friend Tara when she was first diagnosed with breast cancer. Comfort foods. We Americans love them, don’t we? Foods that are high in fat and sugar and remind us of the simpler times of our childhood. We tend to migrate towards these foods when we are in stressful situations. It is natural to want to fill a void in our lives with food.
But do these foods ever really satisfy? Can they ever really fill us up? Or, rather, do they simply leave us hungry for more?
Unlike comfort foods, Jesus is sufficient to satisfy! God’s Word tells us that Jesus is the Bread of Life (see John 6:35). He is the Living Water (see John 4:10). He provides the only kind of nourishment that can ever truly fill us—spiritual nourishment. We need His nourishment to give us the strength to make it through the storms of life.
How do we allow Jesus to nourish our soul? We feed on His Word! The Apostle Paul told the Colossians, “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly” (Colossians 3:16 NIV). Therefore, we must allow God’s Word to take up residence in our lives. We must receive His Word and allow it to dwell in our hearts. We must talk about what we learn with other believers. We should reflect on His Word and commit His Word to memory!
Pray: Father God, physical food is important, but it can never satisfy me like spiritual food will. Give me a hunger for Your Word. Allow it to take root in my heart and grow until my life is transformed. Give me the strength I need to make it through this storm! I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Your Turn: Spend at least five minutes in God’s Word today. How do you feel God using it to speak to you? How will you allow it to change your life?
Karen Y. Wonders, PhD, FACSM, Cancer Caregiver
Karen is the Founder and CEO of Maple Tree Cancer Alliance, and Professor/Program Director of Exercise Physiology at Wright State University. Her passion is to advocate for exercise as part of the national standard of care for cancer. Her non-profit organization provides free exercise training to thousands of cancer survivors every month (www.mapletreecanceralliance.org). Dr. Wonders and her husband have 7 children—aged 16 and younger. If you think her hands are full, you should see her heart!
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