“The Israelites said to them, ‘If only we had died by the LORD’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.’” (Exodus 16:3 NIV)
Moses had guided the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. However, they were grumpy in the desert. They felt it would have been better to die in bondage than to do without their familiar comforts.
I can identify with the Israelites. In an attempt to eat mindfully, I’ve been keeping a log of my food for the past week. I can eat anything I want, as long as I keep track of it. Yet, even this small level of accountability makes me feel restricted and grumpy. I’m used to carelessly consuming whatever I want, whenever I want. This is how I pacify, relax, and entertain myself. Having to think about what I am eating takes a lot of the fun out of the process.
Unthinkingly doing what we have always done brings comfort. On the contrary, attentiveness can feel frustrating. Try giving your full attention to any task that you do--whether it is talking to your spouse, cleaning, breathing, running, studying, etc. Notice how difficult it is. Understanding this resistance is key to overcoming it. Mindfulness is uncomfortable. It involves breaking out of bondage to familiar habits. This leaves us feeling discombobulated. Thus, we naturally try to go back to the way things used to be, even if we know it to be harmful. It takes practice and dedication to change our ways and develop mindful habits.
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