My weekly Sunday morning weigh in revealed a seven ounce lose! YIPEEE!!!! This whole weekly blog-like-accountability is kinda scary but also freeing – similar to the scary freedom of an upside down roller coaster ride.
Who am I kidding? I am way too much of a Type A control freak to enjoy any version of a roller coaster ride but I like the idea of the illustration anyway! For a woman who used to carry a hand gun and handcuff criminals, my idea of living “on the edge” these days is putting my two year old to nap sans pull-up! Anyhoo, I digress…
The weekly nugget God revealed to me is this – God gave me food to nourish and delight me. Since I’ve made a vocation out of being “delighted” (enter chocolate!), it is time to disciple myself to be “nourished” (enter fruits and veggies).
I am in pursuit of being a mindful eater – being fully aware and in the moment of what is going in my mouth not chucking food down to get on to the next “thing”. I am no longer using that excuse to keep me in bondage to food. There is no freedom when I am in bondage. God is transforming me to not eat a meal till I breathe and know what is going in!
God taught me what an “upside down kinda freedom,” looks like through my ever-entertaining two year old, Cal. Cal sat at the table and ate his buttered toast (composed of whole wheat, eight grams of fiber, no artificial colors or flavors, and incorporated real fruit and yogurt…phew! I delight that I’ve multitasked before my coffee cup is emptied!).
Nonchalantly, Cal turned his toast upside down to taste the butter first! What freedom (and hilarity!)!
I laughed and remembered when those “diva” carbohydrates – (always in the media, stealing the spotlight and talk show time) never visited my mouth. They were not permitted on the “diet” I was on. How I missed and longed for their crunch!
I experienced freedom as they have a place back in my life! I will enjoy their diva-lious crunch, in moderation, because God has changed me to be a mindful eater. Everything is permitted. I just have to be mindful of the portion and frequency!
So, this diva proudly raised her one toasted multitasking carbohydrate and delighted in the freedom of it – in an upside down kind of way – butter first!
Toast, bread, carbohydrates, cookies are not evil – my abuse of them have been!
In Luke 13:12-13 (Message) Jesus told the healed woman, who was set free from being hunched over with infirmity, “Woman, you’re free!”
God told this woman, who formerly was hunched over the bread basket, drooling, unfulfilled and abstained from my “forbidden fruit” (carbohydrates), “Woman, you’re free!” I can eat all things, (even bread and chocolate!), in moderation and still glorify God!
What are you experiencing in an upside down kind of freedom about?
Funny how God can make a middle of the night banana – YABBA DABBA DELICIOUS! Thanks for your love!
Stephanie, This was so good. I enjoyed reading your monthly journey. I feel a purging in my spirit and body. I am so sore from working out that I cannot sleep and I used to love very late night bowls of Cocoa Pebbles. So as I sit here at 3:30am, enjoying a banana, I thank you my friend for encouraging me.