W1D3

Shout out to my friend K.T. who offered these wonderful words for me last evening:

So I just wanted to be an encouragement that it can be done. “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” I know that God is bigger than a friends tumor, another friend’s rough marriage and everything else. How did I not know that he was bigger than the pounds I needed to lose (or the habits I needed to change.) Slow and steady seems to be the way to make a lifelong change and the little choices do add up. 1-2 lbs a week over the spring/ summer have added up to nearly 30 pounds lighter for me. This still amazes me!

And from A.P.:

Ann, you CAN do this! My sister recently lost 80 pounds. It is life changing. She said, one day at a time, one choice at a time.

I'm finding myself excited about the future instead of combining my thoughts with "If only I weren't so heavy". For years I realized I've held back, not lived up to my potential/what God wants me to do, because I feel the weight has made me someone I am not. As I ponder all of this, I am already starting to feel myself come out - the real me - the one I've hidden because I'm embarrassed about my weight. Even my closest friends probably don't know the whole me, because I've buried me under excuses and denial for so long.

But as K.T. says above, God is bigger than all that! He is bigger than health issues and emotional issues and everything that gets in the way of taking good care of myself and being me. The Word says that our bodies are the Temple of the Holy Spirit. I know that intellectually, but for many years I have not lived as though I believe it. Just for today I am living and treating my body as that temple, in an effort to honor and glorify the God who created me. The God who loves me. I'm doing this for him out of obedience to his call.