This, Not That
Feed them vegetables. But not just any veggies. The green ones, as much as you can. And organic. Or hand-picked from a local garden. The stuff from the grocery store hardly counts.
And send them outside for sunshine and fresh air, too. Lots of it. Hours, if they’ll manage it. But not without sunscreen, mind you. You don’t want their tender skin to burn. Or to get cancer. So lather them up. Not with that stuff you just bought at the pharmacy, though. No way. You’ll practically be rubbing them down with poison.
They need milk. Calcium and vitamin D. So make sure they drink it. But not too much of it, you know. Too much is a bad thing. And unless its raw, organic, ultra-filtered, or straight from the cow in your backyard, you’re practically ruining their gut health.
While you’re at it, make sure you’re keeping the house clean. Mop the gunk off the floor, and all the germs from the countertops. But stop, not with that. You’ll harm them with all those chemicals. I know you thought that was good stuff, but did you actually research every single ingredient on the list? Oh, well, be sure to do that in your free time.
And then bathe those babies well before bed. Wash off the grime of the day so they’re fresh and ready for a good night’s sleep. Except don’t use that soap and throw away that shampoo right now. You’re stripping away every precious oil on their skin and scalp. Come on, now!
Don’t you want the best for your family?
My head threatened to explode as I scrolled my way through the endless hole of wellness on Pinterest. The quest that had been set in motion by my Instagram feed, bringing to light a thousand different issues I never knew existed, and honestly, made me long for the ignorance I possessed an hour ago.
And truth be told, before I ever had a child, none of it was an issue. But the day I admitted defeat, reconciling the fact that breastfeeding was not going to work with her, my gut filled with worry.
As a formula fed baby, would she be healthy? Would she be smart? Would we bond? And, years later, I can confidently answer each of those questions with an emphatic yes.
But then it expanded to every area in my life, leaving me wondering if was, somehow, unknowingly and unintentionally poisoning and killing my family. Because all the videos and articles and testimonials were so convincing.
Who could I actually trust? And why was everything in the store all the sudden dangerous and toxic? How could I keep up? How was I supposed to make it all from scratch? And when? And, more than that, how was I getting it all so wrong?
Dear mommas, there is no question you want what is best for your family. And the choices I have made for my family may not be the same ones you’ve made for yours. Yet despite their differences, I bet our rationale aligns.
Yet it is so easy to get sucked it. To hone in on the temporal things while neglecting the eternal.
Here’s what God’s word tells us about taking care of our children: love them, provide for them, discipline them, and raise them in the fear and admonition of the Lord.
That’s what matters.
That’s what counts.
Organic food might save them from high cholesterol, but it will not give them eternal life.
Homemade cleaning solutions might be better for the skin, but it won’t convict them of their sin.
And handmade bars of soap might not strip away oil, but it won’t cleanse them from their unrighteousness.
Only the blood of Jesus can accomplish the eternal things.
Give them what’s best, dear friend. After all, that’s what they deserve. What you’re called to do. Lead your children to the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
Because no one, absolutely no one, will come to the Father except though Him.
