You Are What You Eat

The phrase, "you are what you eat," has been around forever. But children have not been around forever, nor have I. So each generation has to learn and re-learn certain truths. Using a Hebraic method of interpretation, let's explore the word "eat." The simple understanding is to consume food via one's mouth and digestive system. This is a meaningful way to interpret the phrase, "you are what you eat.' The food we eat is important to our physical well-being, which also affects other aspects of our lives. I know for a fact that if I eat refined sugar, I feel tired and will eventually gain unwanted pounds. However, if I eat sensible amounts of protein, fruits, and vegetables, I have plenty of energy and will maintain a healthy weight. Simple explanation.

The second level means a hint of something a bit deeper. If the food I eat has been grown organically in good soil, then it should provide my body with the appropriate nutrients for sustenance and energy. However, if the fruits and vegetables have been sprayed with chemical poisons or the animals have been given hormones and antibiotics, my body will incorporate these and the outcome may not be as positive. Natural as well as processed and treated foods may contain the same proteins, carbohydrates, and fats but their effects can vary in some unseen ways. My oldest grandson has learned to read labels. One of the worst things for him to discover is high fructose corn syrup. He will not knowingly let this substance pass his lips! Reading labels gives us a hint of the quality of food we are consuming. It may look good and taste good, but a little investigation will reveal more of the truth.

Next is the conceptual meaning of the phrase. Let's explore the word "eat." While eating is usually associated with food, let's consider anything we consume that affects the way we are able to function. Physical food causes us to grow and stay alive. What about mental food? Some examples are what we read, the websites we visit, the movies and television programs we watch, and the people we are around. The thoughts and ideas we ingest from these sources also affect what we know and believe to be true. As a result, what we think and believe affects what we say and do. The same concept applies to our spiritual health. A steady diet of wholesome, quality time spent reading the Bible and sitting at the feet of good teachers will result in a vibrant yet, peaceful spirit.

The fourth level is a hidden meaning and often difficult to ascertain. The state of being human carries some hidden characteristics not easily understood. We have a physical body that eventually dies. We also have a mind that is controlled by a physical brain. The brain can be seen and dissected but what about thoughts, memories, understanding and reasoning? What about the soul? How is it formed? Does it grow and change? Obviously, there are some things Nana knows and some things about which Nana is clueless!

In summary, we are what we eat, especially over time. Just like eating one candy bar won't cause me to gain 10 pounds, neither will watching one evil movie cause me to become a serial killer. It's the diet I consume day in and day out, year after year, that determines the status of my health. This matters to me physically because I want to be able to enjoy life and move about freely and energetically for as long as I live. It matters mentally because I want to think clearly and rationally and be able to contribute to the world and especially to my grandchildren's world. It really matters to me spiritually because this affects how I live today and where I will spend eternity.

Israel is one of my favorite places on earth. I spent time there consuming physical, mental, and spiritual food. This food has become part of who I am forever. The same goes for the time I spend in other places - some I want to become a part of me and some I don't. The next time I tell my grandchildren, "you are what you eat," we will discuss more than the food on their plate.

The Art of Asking and Answering Questions

The most popular word in a young child's vocabulary is "why?" This can be frustrating to adults who suffer through trying to answer one question after another, realizing that no answer is sufficient to the mind of the child. In adolescence, the question often changes to "why not?" For example, the parent says, "No, you can't stay out until 3 A.M." And the teenager responds with, "Why not? Sara's parents said she could." Both "why" and "why not" are good questions at any age. As adults, we often stop asking either of these questions. This is sad because we were created to be inquisitive and creative throughout our lives. Children are eager to know why and to use their vast imaginations, which is why they learn so much so fast.

There are 2 very important Bible passages that demonstrate how important it is for parents and grandparents to take childhood seriously and formulate the best answers possible to the questions, "why?" and "why not?" Deuteronomy 6:4-9 is a perfect passage. "Listen! Obey, O Israel! The LORD is our God! The LORD is One! And you will love the LORD your God with all your heart, with your very being and with all your might. And these words which I am commanding you this day, will be in your heart and you will teach them diligently to your children, and you will talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. And you bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they will be as frontlets between your eyes. And you will write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." ()One New Man Bible 2011

This reminds me of the number one priority in my life - God. Everything I think, say, and do must reflect my love for God. Wow! That is humbling and demanding. My second priority is my family. Every word and action witnessed by my grandchildren is more important than I ever realized. For my words to be truthful and effective, His Word must first be in my heart because there lies the wellspring of thoughts, words and deeds. I must teach these WORDS DILIGENTLY to my children and grandchildren - no haphazardness here. All day, everyday, during every activity from rising to going to bed. On my hand, they remind me of everything I do. Between my eyes, they remind me of my thoughts. And on the doorposts of my house and on my gate, they govern my coming in, my going out, and they surround all that is within my sphere of influence. A shorter, but also great, passage is Proverbs 22:6. "Train up a child in the Way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it." This verse reinforces the Deuteronomy passage.

I pray the we are ever mindful of our responsibility as parents and grandparents. It is a powerful assignment. For us to know the way a child should go, we must know the way we should go. This comes from constantly asking, seeking, and knocking. "Keep asking, and it will be given to you; keep seeking, and you will find; keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who keeps asking receives; he who keeps seeking finds; and to him who keeps knocking, the door will be opened." Matthew 7:7-8 Complete Jewish Bible When children of any age ask me "why" or "why not," I pray that I think carefully before giving a flippant answer. Words are extremely powerful. The universe was created with a spoken Word. Words have the power to build up or to tear down. They have the power to encourage creative thought or to hinder ideas and questions. I pray that my grandchildren will always feel safe asking me questions, knowing that I seek my answers from the One who truly has all of the answers.

Recent Conversation with a Five Year-Old

A recent conversation with my five year-old grandson caused me to share some personal experiences and thoughts with him about who his Nana is and things Nana knows. At issue was whether there was anything wrong with the peanut butter and jelly sandwich I had just prepared for him. Since this was not our first such incident, I sought to reassure him that I can indeed be trusted with sandwich-making and other important tasks. Here are some facts I pointed out to my grandson: 1. I have been alive for a long time and have experienced a lot of things. 2. I successfully raised his mother and his aunt who are alive and healthy by the grace of G-d. 3. I am still alive and healthy so I haven't made a fatal mistake yet. 4. I, like his parents, love him very much and will do everything possible to keep him safe and healthy. 5. I am still learning new things and it's okay for him to ask questions and make suggestions.

At this point, this precious child seemed to relax a bit and even smiled. However, I know this conversation is likely to be repeated many times again. Therefore, I started asking myself some serious questions. What do I really know after almost 60 years in this body? Is there more to learn? Are there things I know to be the absolute truth? Are there things I hope to be true? Are there things I hope are not true? How much control do I really have?

Today has been relatively quiet at my home but not in the world. There is a lot of unrest everywhere right now - wars and rumors of wars, economic woes, hate crimes, and controversy at every turn. I am very aware none of this is new. However, I find myself more concerned about the future of this nation and our world than I have been in many decades. How involved should I be in national or world events? I promised my grandson, and by extension his brother and cousins, that I will do everything possible to keep him safe and healthy, beginning, but not ending, with his sandwich.

This leads me to separate things that I control from things over which I have no control. I control: 1. My thoughts 2. My time 3. My words 4. My location 5. My actions Wow! I have a lot of freedom! I do not control: 1. Anyone else's thoughts, time, words, location, or actions 2. The weather 3. The economy 4. The news 5. G-d I also have strict limitations. G-d controls: 1. His thoughts 2. His actions 3. His Word 4. Time and eternity 5. His promises concerning life, death, and creation It's comforting to know that the One who created us also loves and sustains us. He wrote a book of instructions and revealed His plan from beginning to end. G-d has no limitations but gave us the freedom to choose life or death - obedience or disobedience. This gives some clarity and definition to things Nana knows besides sandwich making. As a result, I will spend tonight praying, reading, and thinking.