I knew the birthday party was for a very old friend of Margaret's, but I didn't know the words "old friend" wouldn't adequately describe the lady. She was 101 years old, and she was still mentally sharp and reasonably healthy.
What do you do when you meet someone that old? Of course, you ask the secret to their longevity.
That's exactly what I did.
"Dark chocolate and the Bible," she answered, with without hesitation
She explained she avoided taking medicine as much as possible all her life, but had eaten at least a pound of dark chocolate every month for as long as she remembered.
Food for Body and Soul
I think she had the right combination, especially since I'm a Christian and chocoholic.
Dark chocolate and the Word of God. Food for the body (and tasty at that) and food for the soul. In fact, after hearing about her chocolate regimen, I ate a pound of Hershey's dark chocolate the following month. I just did some extra treadmill work to compensate.
The centenarian also inspired me to feast more on the Word of God. She said she had "read the Bible from front to back many times."
Out of curiosity I asked her how many times, expecting her to say, "I don't know." But to the contrary, she answered with certainty.
"I kept track for years until recently. Somewhere around 48 times," she said.
Now that's quite a spiritual diet.
Just think of all the weight that kind of emersion in Scripture would take off, including unforgiveness, guilt, shame, and worry. Just think about all the positive energy it would create, knowing the Holy Spirit is by your side, encouraging you, coaching you, and helping you to stay the course.
Rx: Chocolate and the Bible. Go for it!
In God's Words
"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." (1 Corinthians 10:31)
"Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
"Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10)
In the Words of Others
"I'm grateful for every day I'm still alive. Everything is still working. I attribute it to eating a lot of processed foods. I think it's the preservatives that keep me going. That, and I eat as much chocolate as I can get my hands on." Joan Rivers
"You know, I live a monastic lifestyle. No, I do. I do live in extremes, basically. I go back and forth. Once every six months, I'll have a day where I eat more chocolate than has ever been consumed by a human being." Jim Carrey
