Losing 30 lbs--Part 5 (What God Did)

As I said, in "Part 2", I wish I could say this is where and how my journey began, but it didn't.  At the beginning of my journey, I had put (what I thought was) all the right things into place so that I could have the best chances of succeeding: accountability, a partner, even a Bible Study on weight loss... But I neglected to ask the Lord for his help and his blessing.

In other words, I had made it all about me...until I hit "the wall" (picture #2)

 (beginning)               (-20 lbs)                   (-30 lbs)

"The wall" I'm talking about came after I had steadily lost 20 lbs and then the weight loss just stopped.  At first I was encouraged by others who told me to keep going and after a week or two I'd notice a decline in my weight again...but after two months, there was still no change in my inches or my weight.  I was discouraged and didn't know what to do.

One Saturday, defeated, I went for a walk...alone.  I spent the time evaluating, criticizing myself and letting my thoughts get the best of me...

What was going on with my body?  Why wasn't my hard work paying off anymore?  How long was it going to take for me to lose this extra weight?  Was my willpower going to run out soon?  Did I need to start exercising harder and more frequently? How could I keep putting my family first, but still do what I needed to do to lose weight?

Then I heard the Lord speak to me!  I was so surprised to hear His voice I actually stopped walking.  I knew He wanted my attention so I just stood and listened.  He told me to "Seek first my kingdom and my righteousness and all these things would be added to you".  Really Lord?  Even something as trivial as weight loss?  You really care about that?

And He answered: Yes.  And in everything you do, do it for my glory...not your own.

Ouch.  I started walking again...thinking, pondering...hmmm...His glory.  THAT had been my missing "link".  All along, I had been doing it for me, for my "gain", for my glory, for my purposes.  I had left God out.

In that moment, I was feeling so foolish for all my selfish attempts to change me and bring myself "glory".  I was actually a little embarrassed too...God had caught me in the ugliness of my flesh.  He saw my yuck, my vanity, my pride.  He saw that I had forgotten Him...yet He came to me...but when He did, all I wanted to do was hide from Him.

I had a little glimpse of what Adam and Eve felt in the garden.

Thankfully, the Lord saved me from that too.  In one instant I went from wanting to hide myself, to realizing how faithful it was of the Lord to show me my unfaithfulness to Him.  Whoa.

So for the first time I talked to Lord, at length, about my weight...and all my worries, hopes, sinful attitudes, selfish ambitions, vain conceits, confusion and self-pity.  I got very honest with the Lord.

After walking and talking with the Lord for about an hour, I walked home with a new hope.  And this time, my hope wasn't rooted in my great ideas or in my "fail-proof" plan...it was rooted in the Lord.

From then on, I did just as He told me...I changed my focus.  I started seeking first His Kingdom and His Righteousness (plus, just seeking out what this meant for me) and when He would add spare time to my day, I'd exercise.

I started eating healthy because it glorified Him when I took care of my temple...not because I feared the calories.

And honestly, I can't tell you exactly *how* I lost those last 10 lbs...because I was basically still eating the same and exercising the same ways.  But one thing I do know is that the Lord was faithful to what He said to me.  He helped me lose my extra weight.  It may sound corny, but it's true. 

  (beginning)               (-20 lbs)                   (-30 lbs)

The Lord came to my rescue.  He not only rescued me from myself, from my idolatry, and my own ambitions, but He also rescued me by coming as a Helper in my desire to honor Him with my temple.

I still have another 5-10 lbs that I would like to loose...that would put me back at my college/wedding day weight.

But, I'm still seeking Him first, and exercising when I can, so I trust that if He wants me to get there, I will.  And for now, I'll be content in knowing that He has me just where He wants me!

Also in this series:
Losing 30 lbs--Part 1 (My Story)
Losing 30 lbs--Part 2 (How I Did It)
Losing 30 lbs--Part 3 (How I Ate)
Losing 30 lbs--Part 4 (Exercising with 4 Little Kids at Home)