Too Much of a Good Thing!

 If you find honey, eat just enough-too much of it, and you will vomit. Proverbs 25:16

We went to a Chinese Buffet [my favorite] with a family member. I hadn't gone since the Pandemic started, because I basically try not to eat in big crowds of people these days. I'm not so worried about getting COVID, but I am concerned about getting it and passing it on to relatives and those I care about.

I knew I might not get to come to a Chinese Buffet for a long time, so I really loaded up on the food. My plate looked like Mount Vesuvius! I wanted to say that's a slight exaggeration, but in reality, it isn't! 

I enjoyed all the food on my heaping plate and then saw someone walk by with nice fresh slices of watermelon and other fruit. I knew I was full, but did I pay attention to the instincts that the Lord God guided me by? Unfortunately not! I heaped up another plate with three slices of watermelon, some cantaloupe, and something else. Fruit is healthy, right???? After eating all of that when I was already full, left me feeling lethargic. I wasn't being a good example of how God guides me in my life! I just gave into the temptations that Satan dangled in front of me and justified gorging myself, because I hadn't been to a buffet in a long time. Fortunately, Christ is very forgiving and is leading me to return to my healthier eating plan!

I Second-Guessed Myself and I Should Have Known Better

 When the man of God had finished eating and drinking, the prophet who had brought him back saddled his donkey for him. 1 Kings 13:23

You need some background information to why this particular Bible verse is significant to me. Well, the Lord God had a man go and tell Jeroboam some of the consequences of his wicked actions in leading others astray. God told this man who shared this information that he shouldn't eat or drink anything there until he returned. A prophet heard about the man of God and he deceitfully told him that an angel had come to him and told him that he was supposed to bring the man of God back there and give him something to eat and drink [although this wasn't true!]

The man of God second-guessed himself, when He knew what the Lord God had told him, but he went back with the other prophet believing what he said to be true. On the way home, the man of God died shortly after he finished eating, because he had gone against the Lord God's warning to not eat there. 

I realize that you might think this is a strange passage to relate to, but in reality, it isn't. Recently, I made strawberry shortcake for someone who is diabetic with sugar free whipped topping and sugar substitute in the strawberries. I'm hypoglycemic, so I try not to eat anything with refined sugar. I mentioned that I was thinking of eating some of it too, because I rarely eat desserts and it was sugar-free. The thing is, I second-guessed myself! God has shown me over time that my body doesn't handle sugar-free substitutes very well. I wanted to listen to those who were encouraging me to have some strawberry shortcake. It was soooo good that I made some more a few days later, but now I'm sorry for doing so! I should have known better! Now, my sleep pattern is off and my digestive system is out of whack and I'm praying for God to heal me from giving in to something I knew was bad for me!

I Was Pushing Myself Too Hard!

 For He [Jesus] had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch Him [Jesus]. Mark 3:10

We recently had some family events, and I pushed myself too hard to make everything perfect! It was pretty wonderful, but at what cost? Now, my body is worn to a frazzle and I'm having some type of reaction that my body to this extreme pressure I put on myself.

Why do I have to go overboard? The family members would have been happy just getting together, especially after we haven't seen each other much due to the pandemic. I did it to myself and I have no one else to fault.  

Now, I'm pushing forward to touch Jesus, praying that He heals whatever has gone awry in my body. I'm praying that it will be rectified, and I plan to add more protein to my diet, but I just have to wait it out and see. If not, I feel strongly that Christ will lead me in the right direction, like He has done soooooo many times before!

Remember to Forgive Yourself

 Bless the Lord, all my soul, and [don't] forget all His benefits. Who forgives all your iniquities; who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction; who [crowns] you with lovingkindness & tender mercies; Who satisfies your mouth with good things; so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.  Psalm 103:2-5

 Wow! This Bible passage really hit the spot! If you have been following these blog posts over the last month or so, I have been doing some deep soul searching, because I wasn't the friend I wanted to be. In fact, I spend several weeks kicking myself over it, disappointed that I hadn't listened the way my friend needed.

The underlined portion holds the key to all of this, for it is the Lord God who forgives all our iniquities [sins]. So if He, in his infinite mercy, does this for us, shouldn't we remember to forgive ourselves, as well?

God doesn't want me to go around kicking myself for this, or for fudging on my food plan, or being tempted by strawberry shortcake. This passages says, it's the Lord who satisfies your mouth with good things, but that doesn't mean that we should take advantage of God's good nature and do it to the point we make ourselves sick to our stomachs, or to do it too often! Fortunately, the Lord God forgives all our iniquities and is there with us through the good and the bad.

Why Do I Keep Posting About Friendship Issues?

 Proverbs 17:17 A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. 

I realize for the last couple of months, I've been posting about friendship issues and giving too much advice and not listening enough. It may see like a strange thing to post on the Christian Overeating Past and Present Blog, but is it really?

I don't know about you, but much of my overeating over the years has been tied to stress, worry, low self-esteem and making food a false god, turning to food, instead of turning these issues over to Christ's very capable hands. Whenever I do turn things over into Christ's hands, He is able to show me what He wants for me to know. When I turn things over to Him, I don't have that "eat the doorknobs off feeling" where I eat and eat and eat and still feel hungry, because I haven't resolved the problems, at hand.

These friendship, relationship issues have caused me stress. Not that I have been stressed because of them, but because I have caused other people I care about to be stressed and to feel alone at times they wanted support. 

One of the extremely positive things about this blog, is that it continues to allow me an avenue to process things with my Lord and Savior, and He gives me perspective when things arise, if I allow Him to. Usually, I do this at home, in the quiet of my bedroom, but this time, He had it on my heart to do it on my blog. Maybe, it's so I'm properly humbled, because I haven't been the friend I should have been. Maybe it's so others may realize that God is there for us in all the situations that arise in our lives. I'm not certain why, but I felt led to do it regardless. Fortunately, the Lord is there for all of us!