I started the GAPS Intro Diet today. After all the prep work, I’m finally doing this thing.

Top Left: Tallow, Top Right: My GAPS Notebook. Bottom Left: Grass-Fed Beef. Bottom Right: Beef Broth.

I wanted to say a few words about why I am starting this GAPS journey, because I kind of feel like a crazy person. I mean, this is crazy, right? To restrict my diet in so many ways, not knowing if the outcome will even be positive. Going ahead without any guarantee that my stomach pains will go away. Sounds crazy.

I am really writing this post to my friends and family, so they might understand my motives a little better. (And not worry about me.. Mom. :)) I know when I first researched GAPS I thought it was so out-there that I would never be sick enough to have to do it.. and now here we are. So I understand where you’re at if you don’t see the appeal.

If you’ve been following my tummy troubles, you know that I have struggled for quite some time. When I last talked about it in detail, I hadn’t had any diagnostic testing or seen a specialist yet. Since then, I’ve worked with a nutritionist, seen a Gastroenterologist, had tons of blood work, an abdominal ultrasound, and an endoscopy with no conclusive results. My doctor and I didn’t exactly see eye-to-eye: he told me that “some people just have sensitive stomachs.” If you know me, you know that I don’t buy into that kind of medical conclusion. So I set out on my own to see what kind of healing could be done through diet.

My motive in going forward with GAPS is to heal and repair my stomach. I am not doing the GAPS Diet to lose weight. I am not doing the GAPS Diet as just a quick cleanse.  I am not going to starve myself while on the diet. I pray I will not cheat on the diet or sabotage myself when I start to feel a little better. GAPS is a temporary, healing diet and I hope it will be just that for me- short term and successful. I know it is not a guarantee that I will get better, but it is my prayer that God will heal me or reduce the daily pain in some way.

As I’ve been preparing, God is revealing to me that this trial might not really be about my health at all. I think what He is really trying to teach me is discipline, self-control and obedience- perhaps illness is just the way He has chosen to do that. He certainly doesn’t promise us perfect health in this life- in fact, He tells us that won’t happen until we get to Heaven. I have been comforted by this sermon by Charles Spurgeon on the topic of sickness and suffering. Particularly this quote:

“Affliction of some sort is one of the marks of the true-born child of God, and it frequently happens that the trial takes the form of illness. Shall we therefore wonder that we have to take our turn in the sick chamber? If Job, and David, and Hezekiah must each one smart, who are we that we should be amazed because we are in ill-health?”

I don’t know what the outcome will be, but I do know that while I have been ill, I have felt His nearness. And that has been a sweet, sweet gift to me. I pray that as I document this journey here, that it will be helpful to others who are struggling in the same way. Thank you for all of your kind words of encouragement as I head down this path. We will see what the Lord has in store!