Soul Food

For more than a year now once or twice a week you’ll find me standing in the kitchen over a giant boiling pot of soup, carefully adding ingredients to make sure it’s just right. At this point I have a pretty solid process down and I don’t stray too much from the tried-and-true ingredients.

I have a little boy who is hilarious, and boisterous, and so very sweet.  He’s also had a long hard road to manage his anxiety, his energy, and his anger. One thing we have learned on this journey is that being hungry leads to being hangry and a fed boy is a calmer, more present, less anxious boy.  We also discovered a little over a year ago that the one food he will always eat, anytime day or night, is vegetable soup. He’ll eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  He’ll eat it for snacks. He’ll even eat it for dessert. He eats other food too, but he loves his soup. So, it has become my work to make sure that there is always soup on hand.

I’m sure most of us have been hangry before, not really realizing why we’re on edge until it dawns on us that it has been a while since we fed ourselves.  And, when we finally eat we come back to ourselves, we see more clearly, our perspective is better, our humor returns, and we regain our ability to be in relationship with others.

In my work as a contemplative coach/spiritual director I find that spiritual practices also have this impact on people. My son would not explain to you that his soup is the best food he’s ever eaten- it’s certainly not a mountain top experience. But, it nourishes him in small simple ways as he moves through his week and gives him the capacity to engage more fully in life. 

That’s what our contemplative practices do for us.  They are often not mountain top experiences with a high that we ride for weeks or years to come.  They are much more simple than that, and they feed us in small yet significant ways that help us move through our days in ways that help us engage more fully in life.

A fine and memorable meal is wonderful once in while. And a retreat, or time away, or an incredible spiritual trip can do wonders for our soul- but is often not a sustainable way to live.

The hard part is doing the work in small, consistent ways to stay grounded and centered so we can be present. 

How are you feeding your soul this week?