A Full Tank

I had been working on a project all day. My stomach grumbled and complained after being neglected for at least 12 hours. The project seemed near completion thirty times over, the inner voice--"Almost done . . . just a few more minutes."--repeating on a loop over the course of the day.

I guzzled several glasses of water while I tried to decide what to eat. What did I want? A block of cheese. An entire bag of chips. A candy bar. A gallon of coffee and cookie dough ice cream. Anything I could consume in a matter of seconds. I knew those things would not fulfill my hunger, though. I ate a few slices of cheese to calm the overwhelming hunger until I could make myself a proper meal--a balance of protein, carbohydrates, and vegetables.

Just as eating a proper meal is difficult to do when I've deprived myself of food for too long, fulfilling my inner hunger is also difficult to do when I've starved myself of anything substantial for stretches of days, weeks, or months. I love to create: write, design, and decorate. However, I can only create from a filled tank.

My tank is full when I take the time to consume a complete diet, a proper meal.

Protein: A juicy steak. Grilled chicken. Broiled fish. These are some of my favorite proteins. Protein is what curbs my hunger for foods that are not good for me--candy, chips, ice cream. God's Word works in my heart and mind in a similar way. Reading and studying the Bible satisfies my hunger in a way that nothing else can.

Carbohydrates: Steamed rice. Pasta. Roasted potatoes. These are what give me the energy I need to complete the task at hand. Attending church, journaling, spending time in prayer and meditation. These give me the spiritual energy to do all that is required of me.

Vegetables: Broccoli. Salad. Kale. I may crave junk food much more than any vegetable, but if my body isn't happy, my mind cannot concentrate on anything. Eating vegetables helps my gut to stay healthy. I need a healthy dose of humor from hanging out with my family and friends. I need to get my body moving in some form of exercise. I need time to escape into the latest story I've been reading.

Satiating my hunger with the proper foods fills me with all I need for the day. When I fill my tank--spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically, I can create all that God has called me to create.