Sonya shared this devotional in last week’s menu plan, and it suited our GAPS series so well that I asked her to share it here. I know you’ll be encouraged, too. –Wardee
“The person who never goes out on a limb will never, it is true, have the limb cut off while he is on it, but neither will he reach the best fruit. The best fruit which human life offers seems to come only within the reach of those who face life boldly … with no excessive concern over possible failure and personal danger.”
–Elton Trueblood
On the first day of this month, my son and I began a grand experiment: Together we started a special gut-healing diet in the hopes that it would help my son overcome lifelong allergies to dairy, eggs, wheat/gluten, and some nuts. As for me, I was just along for moral support — or so I thought.
We’ve both experienced some amazing results: My son has eaten eggs multiple times in the past two weeks without any problem. I’ve lost a little weight and regained some energy.
We’ve also had some setbacks: My son has struggled with missing some of his favorite foods, which are currently off-limits. He had an allergic reaction when we introduced walnuts.
Most significantly, though, we’ve both suffered for more than a week with an incredibly itchy and intensely uncomfortable rash (apparently, I, too, have a few issues that the diet has begun to address).
We think it’s a good sign that our bodies are eliminating yeasts and toxins, but on our worst days, that’s a tough sell.
Yesterday my son declared that if he had known how awful he would feel in the process of healing his body, he would never have started in the first place. I stopped mid-scratch to admit that I felt exactly the same way.
And then I realized what a protection it was for us not to know. We would have allowed fear to prevent us from trying something that just might prove to be incredibly beneficial.
So while the limb we’re climbing out on might seem a little shaky, we’re going to keep itching — er, inching — our way over to where we can reach that best fruit. Please pray for us!
Lord, thank you that even though you can see everything that lies ahead on each of our paths, you reveal only what we need to know to keep us headed in the direction you want us to go.
“I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.” –Philippians 4:13
Have you kept going when the going was tough? What did you learn? How did you benefit? Are you still in a tough spot? Please share so we can pray for you, too.
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I to would like to start a diet to free me from alergy to dairy and possible wheat because of slight swelling.
I went from being the wife of a drug-abusing, alcoholic man and a mom of two wonderful babies….to a single, divorced mom with two amazing toddlers….to a the wife of a God-fearing, loving man with FIVE awesome kiddos! We are working on raising our kids with Biblical values, switching to God-provided whole foods, and for the first time ever I am a stay-at-home mom. God truly is AMAZING!
BOTTOM LINE: I (along with MANY others) been through some extremely difficult things – not just diet related. I agree that in the midst of it all, I couldn’t help but wonder WHY God would let me be where He had put me. However, now that I’m far enough from those difficult times I can honestly say that it was all worth it. Would I have traveled this path knowing what was to come? Most definitely not. That’s exactly WHY God only shows us what we need to know. Would I change anything that has happened over the past 10 years? No way. I learned and grew so much in God over that time, and God provided everything I would need to become who I am today.
A little “itching” is well worth the reward. 😉
Sherri — I’m so encouraged by what you shared and I’m praising the Lord for how He’s taken care of you, through good times and bad. Thank you for sharing!
I knew it would be hard from having been on so many diets. There is never a good time to schedule difficulty. My biggest help is experience, like knowing I won’t do this perfectly and sometimes you just have to go through the process of elimination to figure out a problem. I’m supposed to fast because I have chronic fatigue, my first reaction is that I don’t have a day to take off. My experience tells me it is good for me and the pay-off is in the long run.
Short term difficulty, long term blessings.
Tough spot, so hard with a busy life. Three kids, homeschool and such.
Sorry I didn’t mean you to teach me but yes I will find my way; I believe there is the GAPS diet that I will try. I wish you success in your endevours.
Love this – been through this….we’ve been on GAPS 7 months and it has been amazing! Hang in there!
Heather
love this. praying for you.
Thanks so much, everyone, for your prayers and encouragement! Update: It’s now a little more than a week after I wrote this, and my son’s rash has just about completely disappeared! Mine still persists — primarily concentrated on my arms, neck and torso. I wake myself up scratching most nights, but I can almost forget about it during the day when I have a lot of distractions. 🙂 I’m hopeful that the severity will have abated by next week and my skin can start to heal. In case this will help anyone: I have found relief with nightly detox baths (alternating among mineral bath salts, baking soda, apple cider vinegar and seaweed powder — 1 cup to a tubful of water), followed by rubbing coconut oil and therapeutic-grade lavender essential oil into my skin.