This week’s weigh-in revealed a thirteen ounce loss (look, a baker’s dozen of ounces…never mind, bad attempt at humor!) FOUR POUNDS TO GO until I hit my goal weight of 70 pounds gone forever! This coming July will mark SIX YEARS that I began this lifestyle change, not a diet!
I’d lie if I said I’m delighted with the typed words, SIX YEARS. Those two all capitalized words that are screaming at your eyes, also scream within my heart. But, I’d also lie if I said I wasn’t delighted that my BMI is in “normal” range! I got an “atta-girl” from my doctor two weeks ago at my annual physical!
My weekly nugget arrived through the perpetual optimist, Pastor Joel Osteen. I just can’t be sad when he’s preaching!
Pastor Joel said this past week that the difficulties don’t happen to me but rather for me. I love that he’s so gifted in making any negative into a positive!
Difficulties don’t happen to me, but rather for me.
Now that’s a pretty big morsel to swallow all in one sitting, even with my big mouth!
After taking five days to chew on his powerful words; I get it – it’s a power packed mental and spiritual stance to take, to apply, (not just think about) for a power-packed life! True, there are still some life equations that the thought of, for me, feels, well…like I’d prefer an electric current flowing through my body, but I don’t want to go there!
And I’m thinking, to me or for me?
To me makes me feel justified (and stuck) in my active pity party mode. Some days, pity parties just feel sooooooooooo good! My pity parties usually involve lots of delicious food!
I’m learning to feel the emotions, just not act on them. That means, don’t binge or self implode!
Feel emotions; just don’t act on them.
Safer options include: cry, journal, pray, hug a friend. I’ve exercised all of these just this week! I thought babies cried and were weak. Wow, was I ever wrong! The strong cry, the strong admit when they are weak because they know WHO is strong!
For me makes me feel like more than a conqueror! And on those days, my Mr. T-ness pops out and I do “pity the fool” cause I’m going forward if it’s kills me (or who or whatever stands in my way!)
(What a great picture…totally cracks me up!)
Since I cannot find “pity party” in my concordance but I can find “more than a conqueror” (Romans 8:35-57); I guess that leads me to just one choice!
The bottom line in perspective to my eating addiction recovery is this: the past five years I had to relearn my relationship with food (and believe me, I have still not arrived yet, food still has power over me). On the road of this journey, God has gently revealed much about my deficit character and about His sufficient Grace. Grace…which is definitely for me! And for you!
My grace is enough; it’s all you need.
My strength comes into its own in your weakness.
Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become. 2 Corinthians 12:9 (The Message)
Do you believe difficulties happen to you or for you? Do you believe His Grace is enough? If you’re not sure, print out the above Corinthians scripture, and carry it around to encourage you until you know the answer first-hand!
