It’s Yellow Ball Monday, and Karen Lehr has the ball:
Somewhere along the line, I have taught my kids that there are ‘healthy snacks and ‘unhealthy’ ones. Most likely it was after Valentines Day or Halloween, when they are begging for candy every ten minutes. I’ve explained that candy isn’t healthy and we need to eat something else. But this has prompted my kids to ask the annoying question, “Can I have an unhealthy snack?” To which I immediately respond, “NO!”
What kind of mom feeds her kids unhealthy snacks? But I wonder… If they rephrased it–if they asked for a ‘treat’ instead of an ‘unhealthy snack’. Would I consent? Perhaps.
I have some ‘unhealthy snacks’ in my life, too. But I like to think of them as ‘treats’.
I love to treat myself to books, and devour them readily. But, as a Christian, if I don’t check the nutritional content of my reading material, I can quickly become spiritually ill.
I also like to treat myself to time with other women. I’m a stay-at-home-mom, and sometimes I feel starved for adult interaction. Like a hungry child indulging in a snack, I speak freely with my friends and feel energized! However, I’m prone to unhealthy snacking in this area, too. Like when I vent about people who annoy me, and leave the conversation feeling more drained that filled.
If I call my unhealthy snacks ‘treats’, I’m far too likely to ignore their nutritional content, and harm my spiritual health. What are you snacking on today?
Karen Lehr is married to Kirk and together they have three girls: Ruth (6), Bethany (4), and Hannah (1). Karen has no aspirations to write professionally, but enjoys teaching her girls about God’s Word. She also enjoys preparing elementary Bible lessons for the Sunday School and Kid’s Club at First Baptist Church of Mt. Pleasant, MI.
If you’re interested in taking a turn with the Yellow Ball, find more information here.
My kids just go straight for asking for the treat (in our house that means something from the candy box which has all our leftover Halloween, Easter, etc. candy dumped into it.) They have been known to ask for “junky” snacks (aka) a treat. this was a good way to think about my treats in life (also books, and maybe wasting time on the computer!) Good thoughts Karen!
Gail