New Year's Resolutions

Its that time of year when everyone is evaluating their health, their wellness, their weight. I'm not immune to these new year's reflections. I do them every year. I spend the week after Christmas regretting the fudge and the sedentary time and the fudge. (Did I mention I made peanut butter fudge?) So, as usual I am determined to steer my body back toward where my brain says I should be. My brain says, "You should eat lots of plant food." My body gravitates toward mashed potatoes. My brain says, "Drink more water." My body says, "Soda isn't that bad for you." I also have the voices of other people in my head telling me about my ecological footprint and sustainability and cancer and how I should feel guilty about the food choices I make. The vision I see in the mirror is a frumpy mom body that doesn't look like the young girls in my college classes. I have struggled over how to manage my health. People will say I should be happy with the way I look. I don't look that bad. I have energy; I don't get sick often and I generally have few health problems. The thing is I'm bigger than this body I have. This limited mortal body is frustrating to me because I want:

A celestial body.

A big one.

I want a body that can labor, that knows how to work and to love. I want a body that can handle the weight of service and spiritual knowledge. I want a body that can move fast and with agility and beauty. This body, the one I have, is mortal. In all its mortal amazingness it is not yet a celestial body but I think I can come close. When I look at my health plans in this way, I realize that it does not matter what I weigh. It does not matter how I look. What matters is whether or not I'm a good house for the clarifying, sanctifying voice of the Spirit. When I eat a lot of sugary treats, I am more numb to the Spirit. When I don't get enough sleep and I'm grumpy I am not as able to feel the hope and light of the Spirit. These behaviors limit my ability to be close to God and that is not worth the temporary pleasure that comes from eating junk or staying up late or not exercising. So, my new year's resolution is to love my body, my mortal one and to work toward that ultimate goal: a celestial body.