Seeking a Good Appetite

"You're blessed when you've worked up a good appetite..." - Matthew 5:5-6

"Bon Appetit!"

It's a French phrase preceding a meal to wish someone a good appetite, to

"Enjoy this meal," or "Open up and expect something good!"

And it may as well be a pre-meal blessing.

Because appetite - the desire or longing for food - is a necessary cue.  

Appetite tells us to seek and find sustenance to support our body's needs for life.

But more often, appetite may have us grazing, as we figure out what satisfies.

And if appetite is a blessing, why does it feel more like a confusing oscillation throughout our days?

Because at times, we don't have an appetite. Nothing sounds good (or seems good).

Other times, our appetite feels insatiable, and nothing seems to be (good) enough to comfort, fill or secure us.

And ultimately, if we reveal our true appetite - or our frustrations - what will others think?

Could it be that our appetite is "wrong" and we need appetite suppressants to "get us in line?"

Or is our appetite "off" and we need appetite stimulants to "get us on board?"

Is our appetite broken, and is something wrong with us?

Or is something very right, indeed?

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness." Matt. 5:6

Appetite is more than meets-the mouth.

We are blessed when we have an appetite for something right, indeed.

Righteousness. Righteous are You, O Lord." Psalm 119:137

And we are made with an appetite on purpose, for purpose, to

"Live full lives, full in the fullness of God." - Eph 3:19

Appetite and the desire to seek fullness are natural - of our human nature -

and involve a willingness to remain "open."

Open to something good.

It's a triune call from our Triune created form to open to all our needs -

mind, body and spirit.

A three-way call for appetite?

How confusing!

How do we know what to eat, or which types of "food" will satisfy?

But before we see it as a triple-threat, we can take one step at a time.

One meal at a time.

One day at a time.

"Let us.... aim at obeying God, in all things, little as well as great; do(ing) the duties

of our calling which lie before us, day by day..." - John Henry Newman (1801-1890) Parochial and Plain Sermons

And it begins with opening.

Open your mouth... Psalm 34:8

But opening - staying open - can feel uncertain, unpredictable and exposed.

Sometimes it feels "safer" to close our mouths and our voices,

close off from our feelings,

close our minds off from facing fears, or

close off from acknowledging - or trying to meet - our many needs.

Open your mouth and taste... Psalm 34:8

Tasting and trying?

What if we're too full-

of empty promises, or the things the world says will fill us?

Full of ourselves, of our comparisons or our distractions?

Full of our secrets or feelings that need an outlet?

Trying and tasting?

What if this hunger is even deeper than our doubt?

Hunger to feel ok, to be ok, that it will all be ok-

that it will all be good, and so will we?

Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see... Psalm 34:8

This sensory exposure - will it be overwhelming - or underwhelming?

Will it be worth all the work?

Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see how good... Psalm 34:8

Ask anyone wanting to make a change for good.

Acquiring a taste involves repeated exposures.

Acquiring good taste involves repeated exposures to Good.

Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see how good God is. Psalm 34:8

Sure, fear tries to keep us from acknowledging our appetite(s).

And fear will try to keep us from goodness, God-ness.

And yes, fear will attempt to keep us from allowing ourselves to feel fullness, for Goodness's sake.

So we do it. Anyway. Afraid.

Because maybe appetite, with its complexities,

is a way of practicing now -

feeling hungry and longing at times,

feeling satisfied and content at times,

or feeling overly filled and uncomfortable at times.

And maybe meeting our basic needs helps us identify our deeper needs.

And meeting our deeper needs helps to underscore our basic needs.

So we ask ourselves. Afraid. Anyway.

Is my body needing a certain amount of food, water, movement or sleep?

Does my mind seek new and energizing material, a change in inputs, or a rest?

Is my spirit feeling parched or hydrated? Frail or fortified?

YES.

Yes to all of the above, on any given day, in any given moment.

Because appetite is a cue and... a blessing.

"You're blessed when you've worked up a good appetite for God.

He's food and drink in the best meal you'll ever eat." - Matthew 5:5-6

Before rushing to control appetite's oscillation, observation.

When we observe appetite with curiosity,

we may notice fluctuations around food, feelings and faith.

And before rushing to figure out what's good,

"You're blessed when you're content with just who you are - no more, no less.

That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought." - Matthew 5:5-6

Before rushing to appetite-vilification or medication, reflection.

What "fills" or "leaves us feeling empty?"

Do we notice patterns, cycles or seasons?

Where are the parallels in life?

Asking ourselves deeper questions may lead to realization about sufficiency.

"My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9

Because Grace is already within us, playing a role in our appetite.

Grace is always inviting us to deeper connection:

What makes us hungry now, and what (Who) wants to be the object of our hunger?

What temporarily fills us now, and what (Who) can fill us forever?

We're all looking for the right thing.

But you know what really feels Right?

Love.

Feeling loved.

Feeling fully loved, full of love, filled with love.

Maybe in doing the dailies for our body, mind and spirit, the real question is:

What would it feel like to feel love - even Perfect Love - in this moment?

Will we open, lovingly, to make and keep our plans to feed ourselves - in all ways?

Will we open, lovingly, to return to the things that fill us with good (God)?

Are we open, lovingly, to move toward a variety of forms of energy, knowledge and wisdom?

With God's help, Bon Appetit.