Thanksgiving and Forgiveness!

 Psalm 130:4 But with You [Lord], there is forgiveness, so we can, with reverence, serve You. NIV Bible

As I think of Thanksgiving, I remember some that were very personally painful for me. I remember a former mother-in-law who walk around the front room on Thanksgiving, carrying trays of special treats to share that could tempt almost anyone! 

She would go to each person and say, would you like some of this? When she came to me, she didn't put the tray in front of me to choose a special treat, but walked right past me and made snide comments. I resented these insensitive remarks for years! The thing is, this resentment only hurt me inside.

I've had to get to the point that I could turn this hurt, pain, and resentment over into Christ's very capable hands and He gave me a release from these resentful feelings. When I prayed for the willingness to forgive this insensitive person, there was such a release of stress. When I let go of the resentment and forgave her, I could let the feelings of self-esteem into my life, instead of letting her remarks tell her who I am. Christ tells me who I am. I am a loved child of God!

Wait, Wait, Wait, and Still Waiting

 Job 7:2 Like a servant waiting for the evening shadows, or a hired laborer waiting to be paid... NIV Bible

I have been a Christian Overeater most of my life. I spent a large portion of my life waiting until I was thin, until my body looked better, until I had more prestige. Well, I wait, wait, wait, and I'm still waiting!

The thing is, I have been blessed by Christ showing me that I can turn my compulsive overeating, my stress, and my insecurities into His very capable hands. He allowed me to loose over 80 pounds and to keep the vast majority of it off for over 40 years. Yes, I'm thinner, but not at the perfect weight according to the charts. Yes, my body looks much better, but I still have droopy body parts and bulges that remain. No, I don't have more prestige, but now it doesn't matter any more!

God has given me the self-esteem that seems much more important than having the perfect weight, than having a picture perfect body, or more prestige! He changed all of that, long before He allowed me to loose all the weight. He showed me that these things I waited for, became like false gods for me. When I gave up waiting for them and turned my focus to Christ and His will for me, my life took on a whole new meaning and my life went from always waiting to having a deep sense of calm that only Christ can give!

It's Not About Me

 Colossians 2:13 When you were dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all your sins. NIV

A person I interact with several times a week, recently mentioned something that this person does for their diet. I don't know this person well, but I wondered whether I should say something about this blog or not. I went back and forth in my mind. 

I wondered if this blog would be a beneficial resource for the person and if I didn't mention something, I would be denying that person the opportunity to utilize it. I wondered if sharing the info about blog, was just a play for attention, although I go to great lengths to try to avoid falling prey to this vice. But as I well know, Satan, can dangle things before our eyes that don't look like temptations, but really are! I wondered if I was afraid to share my faith with the person who might reject me, if I took the risk of mentioning the blog. I was really torn, but continued to pray about it.

I ended up telling the person how God had allowed me to loose 80 pounds and to keep the vast majority of it off all these years. I explained how I had given up on diets, and sat down and prayed, telling Christ that I gave up, and if He wanted me to be thin, He'd have to take care of it, because I couldn't. I shared that it was that very same day that I prayed, that the Lord took the urge for eating large amounts of food away. Then, I noticed someone who needed the person's assistance, so I stopped speaking. Afterward, I wondered about all types of things I should have shared instead. But then, Christ had it on my heart, that it's not about me. The information about turning this vice over to Christ's very capable hands, was what was important!

Did I Forget?

 Proverbs 4:4 Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget My words or turn away from them. NIV 

Recently, I saw someone I knew was dieting, who ate all the holiday decorated treats we had bought together, rather than share them with the younger generation. I was quick to be judgmental about this.  It is my impression that God doesn't like it when I judge others, because He immediately had it on my heart, about how I didn't allow my daughter to share Pippin Apples, similar to Granny Smith apples.

I wasn't compassionate, in fact, the fangs and claws came out! I made my generous daughter feel bad about sharing the apples with her friends, because I said there wouldn't be enough for our family. That wasn't accurate, because those were mine!!!

How quickly I've forgotten, when I did the same thing the other person did, and worse. Fortunately for me, Christ had this memory flash back within my heart, so I had more empathy for the struggle that food can pose. This was especially significant for me, because it was one of the many lessons Christ had for me, when He showed me how food or the desire for food, had become a false god in my life. I'm so glad He's shown me that I can put those temptations into His very capable hands. I'm not perfect, as this post shows, but I am blessed by a Heavenly Father, who is perfect and forgives all my many shortcomings.