Reflecting

Fast food is bad for you. That probably didn't surprise anyone, but I'd like to take a different perspective on why: usually it's the grease/fat content...or whatever other problems health experts and doctors have with your average value meal. I don't want to talk about that. I want to talk about why WE (the consumer) magnify the effects of fast food. We do it with our lifestyle. We "need" fast food because we try to do too much on a regular basis. We grab fast food in the drive thru lane on the way to work or school, scarf down a few thousand calories, then we don't allow our bodies the time to properly digest it. We do this on road trips, before a long day of sitting at a desk...not always, but I'm fairly certain we've all done that quite a few times.
The body needs time to break down a meal. It helps to have a few moments to let food settle, then a small amount of light exercise could help a meal (even a heavy fast food meal) to sit better. Large amounts of grease and no exercise afterward are a great way to the unhealthy diet that many of us are dependent on these days.

So, what's this have to do with reflection (the title)? Our eating habits are a reflection of our lifestyle- we try to do this, or go to that, and never really stop to think about what we're doing. We never allow ourselves time to digest what we're doing, and what we're getting out of it. When was the last time you examined your day as you prepared for a restful evening? I'm willing to bet that for most of us, it's been a while. Usually, we're less concerned about yesterday and today, and more worried about tomorrow. We never reflect on our days, re-examine what you learned/accomplished/enjoyed...just like our meals-we're so concerned about the next thing that we don't get everything out of what we're doing or have done. Make it a point to reflect on a daily or weekly basis. Here are some questions to ask as you re-live your day.
1- What was my favorite part of the day?
2- What did I learn today about people, my job/school?
3-What was the most challenging part of my day?
4-What is the one thing about today that I never want to forget, or will always remember?
Learn a lesson from Mary during what must have been a particularly hectic/stressful time in her life:
"But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart."
The angle I take has nothing to do with the scripture itself and is out of context, but look at what Mary does- takes time to reflect/digest everything that's happened.
PS-If you're not familiar and too lazy to look it up, Mary's just been told that she'll mother the son of God by an angel...kind of a lot to handle!