For just a moment or two, allow me to be serious

Last week, I was convicted of something by a 5 year old Russian child. She didn't mean to do it. She was simply speaking from what she has learned from her parents. She was also part of a much larger message God has been pressing upon my heart the last few weeks, months, and years. At times I've listened to it and other times I have not. By and large, I have ignored it. I think it finally took root though last Monday as this sweet little girl said, "no, I'd rather not eat that."

And now, the rest of the story.

I come from a long line of generally healthy and lean built people. Working folk. Farmers from TN and farmers from GA. Healthy genes, by and large, are a part of the benefit of being a Browne. Diets for the sake of losing weight have never been a part of my family's lingo. I don't remember any of my grandparents or parents speaking of losing weight when I was growing up. Fast metabolisms have been another blessing of being a Browne. My brother, all 6-6 of him, weighs 180 lbs dripping wet and he owns a Chick-Fil-A! My dad, about 6-5 or so before Alzheimer's, never weighed more than 180 lbs in his life. My mom, nearly 6-0, too has never known a day of being over weight and weighs now about what she weighed when she married my father in 1967.

Now me. I'm 6-7 and somewhere between 250-280 lbs. I carry this weight ok and don't appear to come across as being overweight though I look far from being as in shape as high school and college basketball made me appear in the 80's and 90's. I'm also 36 years old now and my metabolism is not as friendly towards me as it used to be. In short, I really need to watch what, when, and how much (especially how much) I eat. I mainly need to do this for health's sake. I also need to do it because of weight's sake too.

Being here in Russia the last month has had me looking inward and outward a whole lot on a number of different levels - some physical and some spiritual and some connected to both. One level that captured my attention is how addicted to food I and most Americans are. Missing a meal is simply not part of my routine. It is considered a careless oversight or unavoidable occurrence if it happens and it rarely happens back to back. Snacking is apparently cherished by Americans as much as is freedom. Food is an obvious god to a lot of Americans....me included.

That little girl who said, "no, I'd rather not eat that" was talking about a hamburger that I had routinely plopped down in front of her and my two sons at a park last Monday. My two sons took to it as they have been taught. Eyes and mouth wide open, they dug in. She has apparently been taught something different about food than I am currently teaching my boys. Better to not eat at all than to eat something that is obviously very bad for you. She looked at it and politely said that she would rather not put that into her body. Good answer sweetheart. Good answer indeed. While visiting at her home the two days following this, Traci and I noticed that our boys snacked happily on cucumbers and carrots with as much pleasure as they did the hamburger at the park. Maybe they are still open to a new lesson or two about food. I sure hope so because they deserve better from me than they have gotten up till now.

It is interesting to me that there are very, very few overweight people in Russia under the age of 50. There are almost no overweight men in Russia regardless of age. Women seem to all turn the same size and shape on or about their 50th birthday. While youth obesity in the U.S. is a top concern, I have seen a total of 1 overweight child since we got here May 9. Traci and I regularly comment upon returning to the U.S. from Russia how we cannot even get out of our arrival airport without noticing how many more overweight people there are in the U.S. than in Russia. Don't get me wrong. Russians love to eat and despite what you think or see on TV, there is plenty to eat here. Russians just seem to see food as being something to use instead of something to be used by.

My point here is not really about weight. Weight can be misleading. Some people exercise regularly and let food play only the role in their life that it should. Even so, they are over weight. I am one of the people who is fortunate enough, not by anything I have done, to have a body that largely (no pun intended) reflects my attitude towards diet and exercise. The way I look right now tells me and those closest to me (mom and wife especially) that I really do not value diet and exercise as being important in my life. If I did, my body would show it. I don't and my body shows it.

My point is more about what controls me. Right now, food controls me. Of all the things I have surrendered to Jesus in my life, my health, specifically as it relates to food, is not one of them. It's like I'm telling him that he can have my sins, he can have my career, he can have my possessions, my preferences, my plans, my dreams and my fears, but he cannot have anything to do with my health. I'll just deal with that one myself.

Well, the problem is, of course, that Jesus wants it all and, thankfully, putting him at the right place in my life means that he will put back into order all things that are out of order. In my case, health is out of order. My view of food is out of order. Despite those relatively healthy genes I spoke of earlier, I don't need to look too far in my family to see that health issues are ever lurking around the corner.

Ultimately, I am the only intended target of these words. If they hit home with you, fine. If you have already brought food and health under the Lordship of Jesus, great. I haven't yet so I am trying to say publicly some things that I have been convicted of privately.

When you see me next, feel free to ask me how I'm doing in this area. I need help and I'm open to it.

Here's to good food...and good health!