Why We Pine for the Garden - Restoration Center

I often pine for Eden—the garden, that is.

Not that I was ever there, mind you.

Still—

I yearn for what Eden represents: A time and place where humans lived in peace with God, creation, and each other, and man was integrated in body, soul, and spirit.

Imagine:

Living in constant communion with God without separation or shame
Living in perfect harmony with your spouse
Having no knowledge of sin, death, or suffering
Having everything you need for life—food, water, shelter—without toil
Never having to diet again 😜. “Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.” (Gen 2:25)

Although I recognize that we won’t experience Eden fully until we arrive in heaven, I’m convinced we can experience significant aspects of life in the garden now.

Why?

Because Jesus made a way.

“For the Son of man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10)

green leafed plant — Photo by Tim Cooper on Unsplash

Jesus didn’t just come to forgive sins; He came to restore people to who they were always meant to be — image-bearers of God, living in relationship with Him and reflecting His character and mission in the world.

Jesus also made a way for us to be at peace with our bodies, regulated in our emotions, and deeply connected to our Father in heaven. In other words, Jesus made a way for us to live fully integrated in body, soul, and spirit.

Not only that, Jesus was the perfect example of what integration looks like:

Physically present, yet spiritually attuned
Emotionally honest (He wept, rejoiced, got angry)
Always in communion with the Father
Dedicated to loving God and people
He never got less than 10,000 steps a day…(just kidding, although it was probably true!)

Although we’ll have to wait until we get to heaven to finally overcome death, we can and should pursue the restoration of everything else that was lost when sin led to man’s ejection from Eden: This includes healed bodies operating in full capacity, souls anchored in love and acceptance, spirits alive and united with God, and life-giving and harmonious relationships.

The goal of restoration is why I write…

“May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thess 5:23)

A Triune Being: Body, Soul, and Spirit,

Although we can sometimes think and act like it’s possible to regard an aspect of ourselves as separate and distinct from another, let me be clear: it’s impossible to separate the body from the impact of the soul and spirit because we were created to be integrated beings. Anyone who has tried to eat, sleep, exercise, or have sex without paying attention to what the soul and spirit are saying is bound to lose their way. Each aspect of self impacts the others.

Consider these examples:

Bob struggles to sleep through the night due to chronic anxiety.
Pam medicates her loneliness with pints of ice cream after dinner.
John uses casual sexual hook-ups to mask feelings of inadequacy in his personal and professional life.
Karen struggles to enjoy her family vacation because she is obsessed with getting in her daily workout. If she doesn’t work out, her day is “ruined.”
Dave experiences overwhelming guilt about eating on his trip to Italy.
Lori struggles to enjoy sex because she is overcome with shame about gaining weight during her pregnancies.
Jonas’ refrigerator is almost bare, apart from a few condiments and a couple of cans of beer. He sees no need to shop for whole foods because he mostly consumes packets, bars, or takeout food.

In each of these examples, the person exhibited a lack of awareness of how the soul and spirit impacted what was happening in their bodies. Sadly, this ignorance is perpetuated by many medical professionals who often prescribe a pill or a diet to fix symptoms that manifest in the body. At times, this is the equivalent of putting a band-aid on a wound that requires surgery and physical therapy to heal from. Metaphorically, this results in the person continuing to put on various bandages, but healing, exhibited in the disappearance of symptoms and the presence of peace, does not come.

Agh.

I hate that.

In the forty years I’ve worked with people to be restored in their bodies, I’ve observed some commonly held misconceptions about what got them there in the first place:

Some disregard the body completely. Although they consider themselves Christ-followers, they don’t prioritize their health or healthy habits. Sometimes, they falsely believe it’s “spiritual” not to rest or care for themselves because they are busy helping others or “serving the Lord.”
Others fall into another category: body idolatry. This can manifest in a number of ways: being more concerned with looks than character; spending more time working out than with Jesus; following diet trends that call foods that God said were good, “evil”; participating in harmful practices to lose weight or look young.

The Importance of the Body

If God didn’t think our bodies were important, He wouldn’t have given us one, nor would He have come to earth clothed in flesh.

Scripture affirms the importance of the body:

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit… Therefore honor God with your bodies.” (1 Cor 6:19-20)

It doesn’t get any clearer than that: Our bodies matter.

An Integrated Whole

So, what does it look like to steward our bodies in an integrated manner with our soul and spirit?

First, let me point out the obvious:

One day, our bodies will fade away no matter how we care for them: death is inevitable. However, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t care for our bodies to the best of our ability while we still live this side of heaven.
Because we live in a fallen world, some of us are born with disabilities that need to be worked around. Sometimes healing comes miraculously or through medical intervention, but even if that doesn’t happen, we are called to steward what we have to the best of our ability. Remember, an integrated body doesn’t necessarily mean perfection or the absence of pain in this life: Paul had a “thorn” in the flesh that never was taken away (2 Cor. 12:7-8).
Healthy habits—sleep, nutrition, and exercise—can go a long way toward caring for the body, but ignoring soul care and spiritual development can limit the benefits of those healthy habits. Think of it like polishing the outside of a silver teapot without ever descaling the inside. Eventually, the built-up crud damages the teapot. Thus, caring for the body without considering the impact on the soul or spirit is short-sighted at best and foolish at worst.

A Picture of Integration

People who have a healed body that is well-integrated with the soul and spirit don’t all look the same, but they share some common characteristics:

They will be free of destructive habits such as addictions, chronic over- or under-eating, or exercise, and persistent patterns of sleep deprivation.
They will prioritize eating whole food over ultra-processed food and will eat according to their internal signals of hunger and fullness.
They prioritize health over convenience, moving toward more home-cooked meals rather than take-out.
They will avoid eating foods that don’t feel good in their body.
They eat slowly and enjoy their food.
They think about creation and use Godly wisdom when making food choices. (Check out my post on this topic here).
They’re comfortable eating a variety of foods and trust their body to give signals for what they need.
They don’t use food or sex to meet a soul need: comfort, connection, intimacy.
They recognize that the “no pain, no gain” philosophy does not help build a foundation for lifelong self-care.
They’re comfortable adapting their habits when life is unpredictable or the seasons change. In other words, self-care still happens on vacation, when they get injured, or when they have a baby.
They learn to exercise in a way that feels good and enjoyable.
They can adapt exercise routines when busy rather than giving up altogether.
They can align sexual desire with their values without shutting down or acting out.
They don’t dislike or hate their bodies.
They have learned to honor and value their body if it is sick or injured.
They can meet their body’s need for food, rest, sleep, exercise, play, and spiritual connection without guilt or shame.

This is not an exhaustive list of traits. I hope it gives you an idea of what it looks like to live in an integrated way with your body.

If you aren’t there yet, welcome to the club! I‘ve been on a restoration journey for over forty years and still have not arrived. It took me a long time to recognize the impact that my emotions had on my body, and for me to understand that sexual trauma had impacted my soul and relationship with God. I am still healing in that area.

The good news is that healing and restoration are what Jesus came for!

Next Steps

Although I’ve come to understand that the process of body restoration is not possible without the integration of the soul and spirit, I know from experience that a good place to start is by taking stock of where you are with regard to your body. Most of my clients in the first twenty years of my practice began working with me because they had issues with weight, eating, or exercise.

However, it usually didn’t take long before emotional or relational issues, trauma, and disconnection from God began to manifest in the body (see examples above).

Granted, not everyone wants to deal with those issues. I’ve had clients who will settle for being on a diet for the rest of their lives rather than deal with the underlying trauma of their eating disorder or deal with the chronic anxiety that keeps them from getting good sleep.

That, of course, is completely their decision, and I honor that.

I, however, want to pursue the abundant life that Jesus promised (John 10:10). I believe this includes being at peace with my body and enjoying the blessings of good food, a lifetime of physical activity, deep and restorative sleep, and a body that is capable of having a fulfilling physical connection with my husband.

What about you?

Self Reflection

This is a good time to pause and reflect on your integration journey. Below are some questions that can help you consider where you are in your healing and restoration journey.

How much do you prioritize your health?
How often do you disparage your body?
What parts of your body (if any) do you dislike or hate?
Do you prioritize sleep and get at least 7-8 hours of sleep a night?
Do you prioritize doing a minimum amount of regular physical exercise, including getting your heart rate up (3x/week), strength training (2x/week), and stretching (3x/week)?
Do you mostly only eat when you’re hungry?
Are you able to stop eating when you are still comfortable?
Do you ever zone out while you’re eating?
Do you intentionally deprive yourself of food? Why?
Do you cook more than you eat out?
Do you lean more towards eating whole foods or processed foods?
How often do you eat out or order in?
Do you read food labels to see what’s in your food?
Do you drink at least 64 oz of water a day?
Do you give your body what it needs when you are sick or have an injury?
How often do you start (and re-start) diet or exercise plans?
Do you eat 5-9 servings of fruits and veggies a day?
Can you enjoy fun foods without guilt and without bingeing on them?
Are you able to align your sexual desire with your values without shutting down or acting out?
Do you abuse alcohol or drugs to check out of your body?

As you consider the answers to these questions, notice what feelings come up. Try to stay in a posture of kindness and curiosity as you think about your habits and what might be driving them. I encourage you to pick one item on the list above to process with God. Below are a few questions you could ask:

What keeps me from addressing this issue in my life?
Is there a lie I believe about myself that gets in the way of self-care?
How are my emotions impacting this issue?
What should be my next steps?

My prayer is that you get a taste for what is possible when the body, soul, and spirit are restored and integrated into a well-adjusted machine.

May you pine for Eden, too!

Dear Reader,

If you feel stuck, I would be happy to discuss a way forward in your journey. I offer free 30-minute discovery calls to explore what you can do. To book, click here.