It's Not Too Difficult

Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. Deuteronomy 30:11 NIV Bible

Although this is somewhat taken out of context, it isn't totally. Actually, the Lord is telling the Israelites this before they enter the Promised Land. That what He asks of them isn't too difficult, and beyond their capabilities. The Lord God wants them to love and respect Him and not worship the false gods of the neighboring countries.

This ties in, because food had become a false god in my life, before Christ showed this to me. In times of stress or boredom, I would turn to food [a false god] to comfort me, instead of turning to Jesus and putting these issues into His very capable hands. Once I started doing this, my whole life changed. Once I found this out, I prayed, giving up control over my food and eating. I told God that I had given up and that if He ever wanted me to be thin, He'd have to do it, because I couldn't. That's when my whole life started to change. As the Lord showed me that I needed to turn the control of these into His hands on a daily basis, the weight started coming off, starting that very same day I had said that prayer. After that, I rarely had the urge to eat large portions of food and if I did, the Lord would always remind me. Of course, it was up to me to choose whether listen to the Lord's reminders or to follow through on those urges.

Well, the thing is, turning our lives, stress, and food over into the Lord God's hands isn't as difficult as it may seem. It's only a prayer away! If it's hard for you to do this, pray for the willingness to let the Lord be in charge of your food, body, stress, and eating! He will, if you truly want His help. It doesn't always happen immediately, but it's worth the wait and it's not too difficult!

The Price You Have to Pay for Being Thin

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NIV Bible

Well, the Lord God allowed me an 80+ pound weight loss. Just prior that time, Jesus showed me lots of lessons about myself. Some of them where difficult, and I would have rathered not have had them, but that's the price have to you pay for being thin. In my opinion, if you lose all your weight and don't make any changes in your life, your eating, and your routines, your weight won't stay off for long. I know this, because I was on so many diets during the years prior to this and lost weight only to gain it back, and often much more than I lost.

It's difficult to face that I had: been hiding portions of food from my family; begrudged them eating anything I wanted for myself; pushed them and God away from me, because I didn't feel good about myself; and the worst was, that I had let food become a false god in my life! I would turn to food in times of stress, instead of putting it into the Lord God's very capable hands. 

It wasn't easy facing what I had been doing and how it affected those that I love dearly! Every now-and-then, I start to backslide into some of these old patterns, but fortunately for me, the Lord helps refocus me. But as I said, learning the lessons that the Lord has for me about my eating, choices, stress, and priorities, are the price you have to pay for being thin...but they're worth it. The sense of calm I get for putting my life and family into God's hands, is so amazing, even more amazing than His allowing the vast majority of the weight to stay off for over 30 years. I don't want to ever go back to those old patterns, but fortunately God reminds me!

There are Friends and There are Friends

 A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity. Proverbs 17:17 NIV Bible

There's an old saying, There are friends and there are friends. I think this Bible passages is saying, that true friends, become like a brother in times of trouble. I think that's the sign of a good friend. By this, I wouldn't consider that anyone who is your friend is true friend when things get rough, you are no longer popular with others, or your views are identical to theirs!

I had the reverse situation. I knew lots of people, but they ignored me or barely tolerated me when I was heavy. I was hurt when the treated me disrespectfully or they would ignore my thoughts and ideas, as if someone heavy couldn't have credible ideas to contribute. It was even worse when someone thin, would think about what I had just said, and would turn around and say those same things as if they were their ideas, and the others would rave about what a good idea or comment it was!

When Christ blessed me with an 80+ pound weight loss, all of a sudden, these so-called friends, were all of a sudden very friendly with me. They paid attention to me and respected my thoughts and ideas. The thing is, I didn't really consider these people as true friends, because of how they had treated me prior to the weight loss. Fortunately, the Lord has shown me, I'm not supposed to judge others and to forgive them, like He forgives me of all my many shortcomings! 

The Buffet Challenge!

 This is the way [the Lord God] governs the nations and provides food in abundance. Job 36:31 NIV Bible

We went out of town overnight to a small country community. About ten miles out of town, there is a country buffet with all homemade style foods, and lots of thick, creamy gravy to slather all over everything.

Buffets and I have a long love-hate relationship! I love the buffets, but end up hating myself for indulging and making myself sick to my stomach by eating so much! Sure, I have my reasons: I want to get my money's worth! I haven't gone to a buffet in a long time, so I deserve to treat myself! It is a shame to waste all this good food on my plate and stop while my stomach is comfortable! You've got it! I figure out ways to rationalized eating myself silly!

You would think I'd know better after all these years! Christ has shown me over and over again over the 30+ years that He's allowed the greatest portion of the 80 pound weight loss to stay off, that I have to be careful when it comes to buffets. So, this time, thanks to the Lord God watching out for me, when I really don't want to watch out, He had me stop eating while I my stomach still felt comfortable. Sure, there were lots of things to go back and get, but it felt so good to be able to walk out of the doors of the buffet and not feel like I had to unbutton my pants that have started to feel two sizes too small.

Does Celebrating Have to Involve Eating?

 Psalm 145:7 They celebrate Your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of Your righteousness. NIV Bible

My husband and I went out to celebrate our anniversary. We were really delighted, because it was one of those milestone anniversaries, which was significant to us, since we are 'remarrieds'. That means we each have previously been in a marriage that didn't work, and we got remarried. So, having a marriage that is working out over time, seems worth celebrating!

We went to lunch with friends to celebrate! We got a gift card to a restaurant from family members to celebrate this occasion. We also went out to eat out of town to celebrate! It makes me think, Does celebrating have to involve food? It seems the people we know thinks it does. Couldn't we have just spent the day together doing something we both enjoy? Could we have gone for a nice drive in the country instead of going out to eat? These are all possibilities that we'll have to be mindful of in future years!

Now, the celebrating in the Bible passage listed is also a joyful occasion. They are celebrating the Lord God's abundant goodness. When we looked back on our marriage that has its ups and downs, but still works, we appreciated the abundant goodness the Lord God shared with us, by allowing us to be married to each other all these years. Fortunately for us, Christ helped us iron out the glitches along the way!