I need to start by quoting the first few paragraphs of this next chapter in Lysa's book because they just make me laugh out of the sheer truth and shame of it all! Read on...
"I roll over and look at the clock. Another day. Beyond all reason and rationality, I slide out of bed and strip off everything that might weigh even the slightest ounce as I head to the scale. Maybe today will be the day the scale will be my friend and not reveal my secrets. Maybe somehow overnight the molecular structure of my body shifted and today I will magically weigh less.
But no. I yank out my ponytail holder - hey, it's gotta weigh something - and decide to try again. But the scale doesn't change its mind the second time. It is not my friend this day.
Vowing to do better, eat healthier, make good choices, I head to the kitchen only to have my resolve melt like the icing on the cinnamon rolls my daughter just pulled from the oven. Yum. Oh, who cares what the scale says when this roll speaks such love and deliciousness.
Two and a half cinnamon rolls later, I decide tomorrow will be a much better day to keep my promises to eat healthier. And since this is my last day to eat what I want, I better live it up. Another cinnamon roll, please. (p27)"
HAHAHAHA!!! Ok so it's funny, but really, how many of us struggling with losing weight can completely relate to this vicious cycle?? I know I can and still do a lot of days. I have definitely done the "well, let's take out the ponytail holder and try again" bit and have also taken off my glasses, my wedding rings, blown my nose, cleared my throat, brushed my teeth (hey, doesn't plaque have weight??) - you get the jist - it's a rather pathetic routine.
With that cycle driving a person insane, Lysa talks about cravings being the weakness that talks us into "later" "tomorrow" "next week" "after the holidays" and sometimes just finally giving up instead of making the choice to permanently change. Cravings are powerful, but prayer is more powerful. Thus, the main message of this chapter is to replace cravings with prayer. Reaching a goal weight - looking great, fitting into smaller clothes, receiving compliments from others - is awesome; however, since the point is to make a permanent lifestyle change, the incentive should be just as permanent and more fulfilling than anything. This brings back the point that this is about a journey with Jesus. Replacing cravings with prayer will strengthen my relationship with God and that is more fulfilling and long-lasting than smaller clothes or compliments.
In addition to replacing my cravings with prayer, I also want to replace them with peace. I guess these things go together automatically, because as I'm praying for God to satisfy me beyond my cravings He will take them away and replace them with peace. BUT I want to make a point to pray specifically for that peace. This has been a serious focus of mine this last week because I've realized that I'm just not at peace with a lot of things in life right now. As much as I thought I had accepted certain things, I haven't, and I have been convicted of living in discontent lately.
Lord, grant me peace in all circumstances and in every decision that I make. Guide my eating habits and my thinking habits - may they all please and bring glory to YOU and YOU ALONE! Amen.
Peace, friends! :)
"I roll over and look at the clock. Another day. Beyond all reason and rationality, I slide out of bed and strip off everything that might weigh even the slightest ounce as I head to the scale. Maybe today will be the day the scale will be my friend and not reveal my secrets. Maybe somehow overnight the molecular structure of my body shifted and today I will magically weigh less.
But no. I yank out my ponytail holder - hey, it's gotta weigh something - and decide to try again. But the scale doesn't change its mind the second time. It is not my friend this day.
Vowing to do better, eat healthier, make good choices, I head to the kitchen only to have my resolve melt like the icing on the cinnamon rolls my daughter just pulled from the oven. Yum. Oh, who cares what the scale says when this roll speaks such love and deliciousness.
Two and a half cinnamon rolls later, I decide tomorrow will be a much better day to keep my promises to eat healthier. And since this is my last day to eat what I want, I better live it up. Another cinnamon roll, please. (p27)"
HAHAHAHA!!! Ok so it's funny, but really, how many of us struggling with losing weight can completely relate to this vicious cycle?? I know I can and still do a lot of days. I have definitely done the "well, let's take out the ponytail holder and try again" bit and have also taken off my glasses, my wedding rings, blown my nose, cleared my throat, brushed my teeth (hey, doesn't plaque have weight??) - you get the jist - it's a rather pathetic routine.
With that cycle driving a person insane, Lysa talks about cravings being the weakness that talks us into "later" "tomorrow" "next week" "after the holidays" and sometimes just finally giving up instead of making the choice to permanently change. Cravings are powerful, but prayer is more powerful. Thus, the main message of this chapter is to replace cravings with prayer. Reaching a goal weight - looking great, fitting into smaller clothes, receiving compliments from others - is awesome; however, since the point is to make a permanent lifestyle change, the incentive should be just as permanent and more fulfilling than anything. This brings back the point that this is about a journey with Jesus. Replacing cravings with prayer will strengthen my relationship with God and that is more fulfilling and long-lasting than smaller clothes or compliments.
In addition to replacing my cravings with prayer, I also want to replace them with peace. I guess these things go together automatically, because as I'm praying for God to satisfy me beyond my cravings He will take them away and replace them with peace. BUT I want to make a point to pray specifically for that peace. This has been a serious focus of mine this last week because I've realized that I'm just not at peace with a lot of things in life right now. As much as I thought I had accepted certain things, I haven't, and I have been convicted of living in discontent lately.
Lord, grant me peace in all circumstances and in every decision that I make. Guide my eating habits and my thinking habits - may they all please and bring glory to YOU and YOU ALONE! Amen.
Peace, friends! :)
Love you, Becca! I've enjoyed getting caught up on your blog here; it sounds like we are so alike in many ways, not the least of them being the need to bring the area of eating/wanting food into submission to God. Your posts have encouraged me in this area--thank you!
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you were encouraged :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Becca. I, too, am consistently encouraged by your posts (more than once, because they spoke directly to the same things I'm dealing with). So, be encouraged in knowing that you are not on this journey alone- and there are people praying for you.
ReplyDelete