Day 15 - My Health Pyramid

A few years ago I had a blast accompanying some high school and college kids from our church to a Summit Worldview Conference in Colorado.  One of the illustrations used was the pyramid - well, actually it was an iceberg shaped like a triangle.  Talk about a Titanic-lesson!  If you recall anything about icebergs, you will recall that we only see a very small portion of it - most of it is hidden underwater.  The basic idea is that we sometimes think we know what others believe by the 'part' of them that we see - their actions.  But the true beliefs (their worldview) is their foundation and usually only seen/known by God.  Similarly, I know many of you may have seen the marriage pyramid - the husband and wife at opposite sides of the bottom of the triangle, and God at the top.  The closer each gets to God, the closer they get to each other. Then there's that food pyramid with the biggest portion - the foundation again on the bottom working up to the little point for all the chocolate and ice cream!

Our health pyramid is what we have chosen - and includes what is visible to others, and what we try to hide from others and from ourselves.  Some pyramids set us up for a cycle of victory/defeat - climb to the top and slide down again.  Health certainly concerns food and nutrition but it covers all other areas of life too - spiritual, mental (work), physical, social, emotional, etc.  Annie Dillard said the way we live each day is the way we live our lives.  (It's a humbling thing to draw an upside down pyramid with 4-5 lines across and fill in how you live your average day - put hours spent on each activity in separate sections.  (ex: 1 for food, family, rest, God, work, etc).  Then label the the sections at the end of the day and see what is first).  I try to ask myself how I live each day - Is God first?  Family?  Myself?  My career?  Social Life? Food?  Leisure?  How many 'diets', programs, products, have I let lead the way for my health?  Personally, I prefer the upside down pyramid because each area is pouring into and filling the others, but no matter which way the pyramid is stacked, I've found that if I do not put God first, and have God as my foundation, then I will have an empty cup not only for myself, but for others.  James 4:10 says 'humble yourself in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up."  Each time I turn toward God I feel hope because I know HE alone can do all things and bring sustained victory.  The more I move toward His presence, I see that I've been living as my own God - at the top of my pyramid - and in my own strength.  It's not just that I am pouring out - but WHOSE wisdom I am pouring out. God saves me from myself not because I keep trying so hard but because He loves me.  Now who wouldn't want love at the top of their pyramid! 

Breakfast:  Egg Tostada - Scrambled eggs, tomatoes, onions, brocolli, cumin on Tostada and 1/2 Ruby Red grapefruit (with salt!)

Dinner:  Abundances: Casenifla Casserole and Plum Pecan Custard with cream