Bloom and Grow

This post is by Jen Shultz.

It is the time of year where so many of us are emerging from our winter hiding and hibernations. I do not know about you, friend, but I find such hope as we move toward days where the flowers reach for the sun and birds become our background melody. I also find that as the weather warms, so does my attitude and the way I find myself caring for me. As we look for those later sunsets and busier days, I am reminded that like everything around us, we need fuel to bloom and grow. 

I will start off by saying that I am not qualified to speak about nutrition and hydration on any basis other than personal experience with a chronic illness that requires me to know within a reasonable scale what my body needs to remain healthy. I also must admit it is a moving target and I often miss the mark. I suppose in a way, I am a pretty decent cautionary tale. It seems simple to drink the water and eat the vegetables, yet still we find ourselves prioritizing other things over fueling our bodies with the recommended servings of all the things. This is where the rubber meets the road- recommendations versus reality- and what we are willing to do to make sure we do our best to align those two things.

My reality is even when I am able to do that, my body does not always make use of my efforts. Your reality might be that your work schedule is so hectic you can forget to eat or drink or maybe you are busy keeping a tiny human alive and happy. We all have different life stages/experiences and as such we will have different goals surrounding fueling our bodies. That is an important goal to focus on because I am sure of one thing, friend, we have people relying on us to be there to take care of any number of things and we cannot do that if we do not take care of ourselves.. 

Does saying that make it easy for you or for me? Absolutely not, but we also need to keep in mind that we are not going to make a complete lifestyle change in one day. That is done with small steps over time for a lasting impact. Maybe it is one bottle of water or meal prepping for a few lunches that creates a starting point. It could even be a mindset change where we start seeing food as fuel and not a reward. 

That is a big step that took me some real time to accomplish, but when my mind shifted from seeing things like a little sweet treat as a reward it changed so much. It was then I was able to see that the real reward was a healthier, more vibrant gal who had a bit more energy to work on Kingdom things. That fueled me more than anything I experienced while on my journey towards healthier habits. Know that the effort is worth it, friend. It will give you what you need to bloom and grow towards the Son.

Jen is a small town, Oklahoma girl married to a superhero. Together, they are raising a family on second chances and a shoestring. She is a firm believer in grace, organization, and efficiency. She finds great satisfaction in taking broken items and giving them new life, likely because that is exactly what God did for her. She over uses the word shine, exclamation points, and emojis. Jen calls her family her greatest accomplishment. A natural born encourager and armchair warrior, she is learning to redefine her mission field and make the most of each day she is given. She has recently been promoted from breast cancer warrior to breast cancer survivor. She’s chronically ill and chronically positive—not necessarily in that order. She is learning to practice perseverance over perfection and longs for the day she gets to see her grandparents and Jesus’ face. Until then, she is just looking for Grace in the Grind.