This morning, a popular health food blogger shared an article written by another popular blogger about the fact that she shamelessly takes her kids out for fast food fives times a week. Then, the popular health blogger asks her health food followers, "What do you think about this article?"
Honestly... Why? Because there isn't enough parental judgement already?
My biggest complaint about the article was that writer used the word "snarf"... And, more than once at that. It made me cringe a little. But, I could care less what she feeds her kids, and it's kind of a lame thing to shame other people for. Sharing helpful knowledge is one thing, but unleashing your fellow health food worshippers to condemn the fast food mom is a little, um... unhelpful.
Hey, life happens. Sometimes, it happens five times a week. It's hard on moms, and some of us just don't really have the energy to obsess over nutrition. We simply do the best we can, and trust that God's plans won't be thwarted because of a cheeseburger here and there. I grew up on pizza and hot dogs and Doritos and all things 90's, and I survived and lived to tell the tale. I was eventually introduced to healthier food, and realized my body wasn't healthy. I started making healthier choices in my early twenties, and now I'm passing that knowledge down to my kids. But, you better believe I will take full advantage of my freedom in Christ to eat French fries without feeling an ounce of shame.
Our family loves real, whole foods. Just this morning, my kids were raving about the fruit and kale smoothies we had for breakfast. Last night for dinner, they were inhaling guacamole, spinach, and grass-fed beef tacos. But, there are some days where being the homeschool mom of four kids ends up feeling like a swift kick in the pants, and Chick-Fil-a swoops in and saves the day like an angel sent down from heaven. On those days, it's all I can do not to go "Pentecostal" and break out my tambourine to do a holy victory dance thanking God for allowing fast food to even exist.
I am a firm believer that WHAT you eat is not often a sin issue (assuming you're not eating other humans - eek!), but HOW you eat, and your heart on the matter can be. Food can obviously become an idol, and there are seasons of life where it has held the throne in my own heart more times than I can count. It's a battle, for sure. Idolatry and gluttony are sins that need to be repented of. Occasionally choosing pizza over kale at lunch time is not.
We love whole foods now, and prefer to eat healthy because we've seen the difference in how it makes us feel. But, just four short years ago, we didn't even know what kale was. I would have rather banged my head against a wall than have to drink a green smoothie that tasted like pineapple grass. People are on their own journeys, and you can't condemn others just because they aren't on the same path as you... Especially over something as petty as food. Choose your battles according to scripture, and let go of the preference wars.
