A Young Adult’s Encounter with Ellen White ... on Wellness

I grew up vegetarian, but still didn’t always make healthy choices. Although my family always ate healthfully, I grabbed at any chance I could get to sneak in desserts and snacks. However, I took a class on Daniel in academy and was required to read Ellen White’s counsels on diet, rest, exercise, and health, in order to better understand Daniel’s example.AC 81.3

I began to realize that even though I was a vegetarian I wasn’t living up to the information I knew about healthful living. I cut out dairy products, refined foods, and most sugar. I soon felt like a new person and could remember what I studied much better. I also began a regular exercise program, tried to get more sleep, and drank more water. I am still continually astonished at how seldom I get sick, how much more energy I have, and how much more efficiently I study in comparison to the previous years of my life.AC 81.4

Another aspect of mental wellness that Ellen White has brought to my attention is trusting in God. I am a chronic worrier, and doubts and fears used to dominate my thoughts and prayers. However, God continues to change my heart slowly and imperceptibly, often through Ellen White’s writings. She reminds me that my trust is in the Omnipotent One, who longs to give me peace and wants me to know how much He cares about every detail of my life. One of my favorite quotes is from In Heavenly Places: “Educate yourself to have unlimited confidence in God.”^{85In Heavenly Places, 71.} I long to do that day by day, and throughout my whole life, as the most integral part of my wellness.AC 81.5

Rel, age 21AC 81.6