I think that sometimes we think of “losing weight” as “changing me.” I don’t know how those who lose weight easily, accomplish it. I have lost weight in the past but just kept putting it back on -- plus some. We, as a culture, have somehow tied our self image to the bathroom scale and there is no way we can be happy with that. The best place I have found for self image repair is the Bible and the love of Jesus Christ who did the work for me to be able to be re-united with God the Father!!
I noticed that when I finally gave up on trying to lose weight, I stopped gaining weight and stayed the same weight for quite a few years — but I forgot to turn it over to the Lord and picked it up again about a year ago with not much weight loss success, again — so I got depressed about that. Feeling inadequate and like a failure, once again.
God is so good. He recently gave me the experience of walking into a new space (see previous post) — one where I no longer had to work hard to try to make me into something other than what I am. That was a real weight lifted off of me. In the end it does not matter whether I am one of the thin people or one of the heavy people. What matters is knowing the Lord and growing in His grace and in knowledge of Him.
I’ve also begun to realize that the only people who are bothered by my weight are those who are bothered by their own — or think that heavy people are somehow “not right” -- like it is a character flaw. The poor things are always comparing to see who is on top. Because they are unsure of who they are, they look down on fat people which gives them the momentary pleasure of feeling superior but they lose out on the friendship, which they avoid because they do not want to be associated with a fat person. They are so shallow, that is all they see. And sometimes we are the one doing the looking at ourselves and we come to the same erroneous conclusions!! Truth is: a fat man or a thin man can have a godly character. Character is not based on physical size, but on spiritual faith.
A pastor once said something to me during a conversation we had. I had told him that at that time there was a young girl in the church who just really reminded me of me when I was her age. She was always taller than the others and always weighed enough to make her a little puffy. I shared a little, then he said this: God wanted a big girl so He made _________ (inserting her name.) That was a revelation to me.
God made us the way we are. We are not all going to fit the current “pictures” of beauty that the world paints — that is not even possible. Once we get that, and move on to the important stuff, we live a more productive and satisfying life — simply by walking with Him every single day. It is a gentle and quiet spirit that God loves. Are there not some heavy people that you treasure because of their loving character? There is the proof.
We do need to eat healthy food, but there are many definitions of healthy food. After much reading, searching, testing, and paying attention… my definition of healthy food is boiled down to its simplest terms in this combination: meat and raw vegetables. The Lord told me this a hundred times, and now, finally, I am ready to do that without worrying about changing who I am!
A caterpillar cannot make herself into a water lily, she can only become a butterfly, and not by working hard towards the goal. God makes the butterfly out of the caterpillar — all the caterpillar does is obey the Lord’s directions by cocooning itself with Him. Thank God!
If the caterpillar were to focus hard on working towards becoming a water lily she has set herself up for a lifetime of struggle and no results. In her own eyes she would be a failure — even though everyone else sees the butterfly she has become, she will be unhappy because she is not a water lily. If we look to Christ he makes us a new creation:
Ga 6:15-16 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.
Love you,
--Marcia
I noticed that when I finally gave up on trying to lose weight, I stopped gaining weight and stayed the same weight for quite a few years — but I forgot to turn it over to the Lord and picked it up again about a year ago with not much weight loss success, again — so I got depressed about that. Feeling inadequate and like a failure, once again.
God is so good. He recently gave me the experience of walking into a new space (see previous post) — one where I no longer had to work hard to try to make me into something other than what I am. That was a real weight lifted off of me. In the end it does not matter whether I am one of the thin people or one of the heavy people. What matters is knowing the Lord and growing in His grace and in knowledge of Him.
I’ve also begun to realize that the only people who are bothered by my weight are those who are bothered by their own — or think that heavy people are somehow “not right” -- like it is a character flaw. The poor things are always comparing to see who is on top. Because they are unsure of who they are, they look down on fat people which gives them the momentary pleasure of feeling superior but they lose out on the friendship, which they avoid because they do not want to be associated with a fat person. They are so shallow, that is all they see. And sometimes we are the one doing the looking at ourselves and we come to the same erroneous conclusions!! Truth is: a fat man or a thin man can have a godly character. Character is not based on physical size, but on spiritual faith.
A pastor once said something to me during a conversation we had. I had told him that at that time there was a young girl in the church who just really reminded me of me when I was her age. She was always taller than the others and always weighed enough to make her a little puffy. I shared a little, then he said this: God wanted a big girl so He made _________ (inserting her name.) That was a revelation to me.
God made us the way we are. We are not all going to fit the current “pictures” of beauty that the world paints — that is not even possible. Once we get that, and move on to the important stuff, we live a more productive and satisfying life — simply by walking with Him every single day. It is a gentle and quiet spirit that God loves. Are there not some heavy people that you treasure because of their loving character? There is the proof.
We do need to eat healthy food, but there are many definitions of healthy food. After much reading, searching, testing, and paying attention… my definition of healthy food is boiled down to its simplest terms in this combination: meat and raw vegetables. The Lord told me this a hundred times, and now, finally, I am ready to do that without worrying about changing who I am!
A caterpillar cannot make herself into a water lily, she can only become a butterfly, and not by working hard towards the goal. God makes the butterfly out of the caterpillar — all the caterpillar does is obey the Lord’s directions by cocooning itself with Him. Thank God!
If the caterpillar were to focus hard on working towards becoming a water lily she has set herself up for a lifetime of struggle and no results. In her own eyes she would be a failure — even though everyone else sees the butterfly she has become, she will be unhappy because she is not a water lily. If we look to Christ he makes us a new creation:
2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Ga 6:15-16 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.
Love you,
--Marcia
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