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

I have worked as a counselor or boys’ director at a Seventh-day Adventist youth camp for the past four summers. I am continually searching for the perfect materials to use in my worship thoughts with campers each night. The Bible and Ellen White’s writings have been my staples. I use those same writings extensively for wisdom in discipline, my personal meditation, and to answer questions from boys of varying ages.AC 82.1

In this past summer’s search for ideal devotional material, my thoughts turned to Ellen White’s work The Sanctified Life, specifically her stories about Daniel and his Hebrew friends in Babylon. I now have adopted the (Genesis 1:29) diet and place a high priority on whole, unrefined foods, very little sugar, plenty of sleep, and water. Because these decisions have been so beneficial in the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual realms of my life, I wanted to share with my campers the inspiration for, and potential benefits of, such changes.AC 82.2

Each week I would demonstrate my health habits to my campers by declining to eat fried, sugary, or otherwise unhealthy foods in lieu of fruits, vegetables, and grains. “My” boys knew the value I placed on sleep, water, hygiene, and healthy habits through my constant interaction with them and by observing my lifestyle choices. This led them to badger me with questions concerning the health benefits or liabilities of a variety of foods and habits of their own. In turn, our worship thoughts on Daniel and his friends allowed me to share the biblical principles behind my actions and choices. Ellen White’s writings on these matters have opened my mind to the benefits of wellness, and I have been privileged to pass on the wealth!AC 82.3

Brian, age 23AC 82.4