So I have been working on a new post for a while...but I am just going to delete it. I think I expected to ramble a little - to put my thoughts out there and just process a bit, but I feel that God just never released me to do that, so here I sit with a fresh mind, and in appreciation of new mercies.
The last few weeks have been exhausting. I have had so many reasons to praise God amidst the struggles, though! Friends' rejoicing has turned to mourning - but they have hope. The situations of this world are so beyond disheartening - but THIS world is not my home. I have been sick - but then I realized how long it has been since I actually had this allergy and sinus junk! I'm praising Him for a body that is becoming healthy despite the many ways that I have abused this temple over the decades...He restores, Friend. He truly redeems and restores.
And THIS is where I want to rest today. How often do I become impatient with my husband because he does not hear or understand what I am saying? How often do I become upset because my children are ignoring or disobeying me? How often do I get hurt by people because of miscommunications?
When I was growing up, my parents had no idea about nutrition. My dad was a good cook, and everything was simple but included lots of vegetables. However, it also included a lot of convenience foods, sugars, artificial sweeteners, and eventually even weight loss shakes. We had little knowledge of food allergies and especially of how to treat our bodies as the temples that they were designed to be. I was always very overweight despite being very active and eventually it became more and more difficult to move and enjoy being active.
As an adult, I continued to fill my body with improper fuels for a long time. I married a picky eater and we had his junior - who was actually even pickier than his father! As my weight increased and it was quite apparent that food played a large role in the way that my body was acting, we eventually discussed making changes. But it was not until our daughter was born and showed signs of gluten intolerance that it actually stirred us to change our habits. And it was hard.
We went entirely gluten free. That led to adding grain-free recipes and then we realized that we were "clean eating" much of the time. We still eat out sometimes - and much more than we would really like! But when I cook, I tend to cook much healthier and whole food options and when we eat out and eat "junk" it does not have the same effect. And I also learned that when I took care of my body MOST of the time, I could offer myself GRACE when I got sick or too busy and could not take the time or make the efforts to prepare what or how I truly wanted to prepare.
When I learned to treat myself with grace, and when I learned to take care of my body the weight started to fall off, my confidence increased greatly, and my body is now at a good metabolism most of the time - with a good immune system to boot! And a good immune system is so important when you work with children as I do.
If God was not loving and gracious and merciful, my attempts to heal my body would have fallen short and would have made no difference. If His mercies were not new every day, anytime I tried to make the right choice, the imperfection would stain any progress and I would still be in the pit that I was in before. But they DO make a difference and I am NOT in that pit!
If you feel that you are too far gone - that there is nothing that you can do to get back to God, all you have to do is turn back to Him. He sent His Son, Jesus, to pay all of your debts and to take your sin so that you could realize His perfect love and endless grace. In fact, His grace and mercy is scandalous! He loves prostitutes, thieves, and murderers, too - He offers His forgiveness and we are all called His children. I don't deserve it. I am no better than you - I am broken and flawed and an absolute mess...on my own. In Christ Jesus, I am perfectly loved, endlessly forgiven, and as a result, I choose to share this truth I do not do it right all the time - but I continue to pray that I love better tomorrow than I did today. And by the grace of God alone, I will.
The last few weeks have been exhausting. I have had so many reasons to praise God amidst the struggles, though! Friends' rejoicing has turned to mourning - but they have hope. The situations of this world are so beyond disheartening - but THIS world is not my home. I have been sick - but then I realized how long it has been since I actually had this allergy and sinus junk! I'm praising Him for a body that is becoming healthy despite the many ways that I have abused this temple over the decades...He restores, Friend. He truly redeems and restores.
And THIS is where I want to rest today. How often do I become impatient with my husband because he does not hear or understand what I am saying? How often do I become upset because my children are ignoring or disobeying me? How often do I get hurt by people because of miscommunications?
When I was growing up, my parents had no idea about nutrition. My dad was a good cook, and everything was simple but included lots of vegetables. However, it also included a lot of convenience foods, sugars, artificial sweeteners, and eventually even weight loss shakes. We had little knowledge of food allergies and especially of how to treat our bodies as the temples that they were designed to be. I was always very overweight despite being very active and eventually it became more and more difficult to move and enjoy being active.
As an adult, I continued to fill my body with improper fuels for a long time. I married a picky eater and we had his junior - who was actually even pickier than his father! As my weight increased and it was quite apparent that food played a large role in the way that my body was acting, we eventually discussed making changes. But it was not until our daughter was born and showed signs of gluten intolerance that it actually stirred us to change our habits. And it was hard.
We went entirely gluten free. That led to adding grain-free recipes and then we realized that we were "clean eating" much of the time. We still eat out sometimes - and much more than we would really like! But when I cook, I tend to cook much healthier and whole food options and when we eat out and eat "junk" it does not have the same effect. And I also learned that when I took care of my body MOST of the time, I could offer myself GRACE when I got sick or too busy and could not take the time or make the efforts to prepare what or how I truly wanted to prepare.
When I learned to treat myself with grace, and when I learned to take care of my body the weight started to fall off, my confidence increased greatly, and my body is now at a good metabolism most of the time - with a good immune system to boot! And a good immune system is so important when you work with children as I do.
If God was not loving and gracious and merciful, my attempts to heal my body would have fallen short and would have made no difference. If His mercies were not new every day, anytime I tried to make the right choice, the imperfection would stain any progress and I would still be in the pit that I was in before. But they DO make a difference and I am NOT in that pit!
Lamentations 3:22-23 (ESV)The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;they are new every morning;great is your faithfulness.
If you feel that you are too far gone - that there is nothing that you can do to get back to God, all you have to do is turn back to Him. He sent His Son, Jesus, to pay all of your debts and to take your sin so that you could realize His perfect love and endless grace. In fact, His grace and mercy is scandalous! He loves prostitutes, thieves, and murderers, too - He offers His forgiveness and we are all called His children. I don't deserve it. I am no better than you - I am broken and flawed and an absolute mess...on my own. In Christ Jesus, I am perfectly loved, endlessly forgiven, and as a result, I choose to share this truth I do not do it right all the time - but I continue to pray that I love better tomorrow than I did today. And by the grace of God alone, I will.
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