Abundant Life

I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. -John 10:10

For the longest time John 10:10 was constantly on my mind and brought before my eyes and ears. I meditated on this verse and what exactly I was supposed to glean from it. I knew that Jesus came to save me from a life of sin and that eternally I had the promise of abundant life, but what about now? Here on earth, did God want my life to be abundant, and what did that mean? I didn’t feel very abundant…I didn’t feel like I was pursuing a career that I was well suited to and physically, I felt bad and looked bad. By April, I had tried every kind of cleanser, lotion, potion and make up brand that touted clear skin benefits. Some products may have provided slight relief for a time, but in the end they all failed to live up to their claims and my skin just looked worse. Not only that, but I could scarcely stand to look at myself in the mirror, my skin was pale and I had dark circles under my eyes, my muscle tone and ability to exercise was decreasing as well. I knew this was all more than skin deep and the root of the problem needed to be identified.

I made an appointment with a dermatologist who quickly looked at my skin and said, “If you don’t do something about this you are going to be scarred.” I wondered in that moment just what he thought I was doing in his office. I was there for help, and his words were not helpful, they just incited more worry. He quickly prescribed antibiotics and said that it would most likely get worse for a few weeks before it started to get better. I asked what the side effects were and he quickly told me there were none. Now, I’ve never been one to take much medication and am aware that there are always possible side effects to medicine. Before rushing to the pharmacy, I researched the drug and upon finding several possible side effects, my spirit would not let me fill the prescription. I just believed there had to be a more natural method of healing.

I made an appointment with an alternative health practitioner to have an iridology reading. It was really interesting what he could tell me about my health (things I knew to be true) just by looking into my eyes with a magnifying glass. He prescribed some herbal supplements (which I researched for possible side effects). It was at this time that I discussed with my mom the possibility of quitting my job. We decided it was most important to focus on healing and restoration and the best way to do that would be to eliminate as much stress as possible. This was a real turning point where I prayed for God to teach me to number my days that I may gain wisdom (Psalm 90:12). I began praising Him for the rest and peace He was giving to my soul. After a few months, I saw some benefits from the supplements, but the healing seemed slow.

During this time I tried a vegan diet (or a Daniel Detox, see Daniel 1:8-16). My mom came along on this journey with me as we eliminated all animal products from our diets. This lasted for several months and we saw the benefit in it to cleansing the body of toxic build up from processed foods, non-organic meats and chemicals. During this phase we began reading The Maker’s Diet by Jordan Rubin. In it he tells the story of his journey from severe illness to glorious health. It got us thinking about what God says about the foods we eat and how we are to care for our bodies. At the end of the book, Jordan has a 40-Day plan for physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually taking care of ourselves according to God’s word. We felt a little overwhelmed with committing to this 40-Day plan. We just didn’t know if we could “give up” certain things (namely chocolate) for 40 days. Instead, we found a 28 day elimination diet to help identify any possible food allergies. We began our 28-Day Elimination Diet (see blog posts from last year) and by the time day 28 arrived, we both felt led to continue the plan for 40 days. We felt really good and I was definitely feeling healthier, but it was the end of 2010 and I wasn’t fully healed. My sister-in-law found and told us about a podcast and website for health and nutrition. In January we were watching this video http://www.draxe.com/video/best-books-for-the-new-year-transformation-tv-episode-022/ on recommended readings for the coming year. Hmm…he suggested The Great Physician’s RX by Jordan Rubin. My mom and I both felt the need to read this book. This is where things really started to come together. We were fully ready to embrace and apply the truths of God’s word with regards to health.

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. -1 Corinthians 6:19-20