Like so many other people, I made the decision at the beginning of this year to get serious about taking weight off and improving my overall health. I had taken weight off previously, but then had a year with two major surgeries and that combo was brutal on my weight.
I decided I would begin this physical “overhaul” on January 7th, because I knew we still had one Christmas gathering left on January 4th. I wasn’t sure my willpower would withstand the many temptations that would be there. So, to be a little easier on myself I chose to enjoy eating what I wanted to until all the holiday celebrations were over.
But then…life happened. I started on the 7thand on the 9thwe were told by my dad’s doctor that his health was rapidly deteriorating and we had some decisions to make as a family. He had been sick for about a week, but his rapid downward spiral happened rather quickly and by the 13thmy dad was in heaven.
So why would my dad’s passing have anything to do with my decision to begin eating healthier? Because I am a stress eater. I’ve heard people say that they were so stressed they couldn’t eat…that my friend…is a statement that makes no sense to me. The more stressed I am…the more I eat…so throw in an unexpected loss in my life and I’m ready to inhale everything I can get my hands on in the cupboard. Plus, we all know that stressed spelled backwards is desserts…so obviously they are meant to go hand-in-hand!
My first thought was this, “Oh if I would have only known, I would have waited to start my healthy eating after dad’s service”. I was so tempted to just ditch my plans and resume them after my stress level lessened.
But, because I believe our God has a sense of humor, the day I had that thought I saw this graphic:
I just had to laugh, because I knew God was reminding me that there will always be a reason for quitting. There will always be a reason to give up. There will always be something to entice me to cheat or to not even begin at all.
I’ve thought a lot about this graphic these past weeks because I’ve realized that it is true for so many areas of my life. How many times do I know God is telling me to step out and do something for Him…but I use every excuse in the books as to why I shouldn’t obey? How many times did I start to follow His plan, but then something came along to discourage me and I just gave up? And then how many times have I told Him that I would step out of my comfort zone…but then just kept putting it off because it was too close to Valentine’s Day, Easter, Summer, Friday or Taco Tuesday.
How about you? Is there an area of your life that God is telling you work on but you are afraid to even try? Or is He asking you to step out in faith to follow Him…but you are putting it off because the conditions aren’t absolutely perfect? I want to encourage you to make the decision to begin following His plan for you today and not allow the “hiccups” of life to detour you or stop you in your tracks. Remember, if God is leading you…He will never leave you…and His plan is always designed perfectly just for you. And since He is all-knowing, you can rest assured that none of the holidays, seasons or even Taco Tuesdays will be a surprise to Him J
“No test or temptation that comes your way
is beyond the course of what others have had to face.
All you need to remember is that God
will never let you down; he’ll never let you
be pushed past your limit; he’ll always
be there to help you come through it.”
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