Day 12 (or there abouts)

Day 12– February 16, 2011

Almost one year later, and I am still not finished in my initial goal – loose weight and feel great.  What has happened since then?  I joined the gym, got a personal trainer and for a year huffed, puffed and almost blew my trainer down (he was half my size).  My weight went up, down and up again.  What was the mater with this equation?  I decided to jump on board with my friends and have an accountability circle.  Yes, we would log our daily intake, our output and our progress on a weekly basis.  Great!  But that also ended up in the same pile as before – incomplete and is its way to cancellation along with my gym membership.  Then one November day in prayer the directives came through that was so crazy I knew it could not have been my own imagination – cut out meat (except sea food), dairy and yeast.  Three items and easy enough to do.  No problemo!  I danced my way into the kitchen only to see Johhny cakes from a package that no-one could tell me if contained yeast. No worries. Then for dinner ox-tail (a delicious Caribbean dish) was served up, while my mouth salivated and mourned the loss of the taste.  But I survived, and I didn’t die.  I surprised myself that day.  I exercised something that has been my struggle for years – self control.  Since then, I have made it through birthday parties, Christmas gatherings and other social events without eating meat.  My family admitted “I didn’t think you were serious” as the expectation was for me to crack under the savory dishes we serve at every gathering –as I always do. 

The past three months have taught me a few things as I continue on this journey.  One is that I can say no to food.  Two is that I can enjoy a scrumptious meal of beans and Quinoa.  Three is that self control is a choice.  Wow, I don’t even think I knew that until just now.  Have I lost anything in weight?  Measured on the scale maybe four to five pounds at most.  Measured in attitude – lost a bad one and gained a greater one!

Psalm 139

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

 1 You have searched me, LORD,
   and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
   you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
   you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue
   you, LORD, know it completely.
5 You hem me in behind and before,
   and you lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
   too lofty for me to attain.

Prayer:

Lord, you know me. You are most concerned with every aspect of our lives even weight loss.  Lord, I agree with David that such knowledge is too wonderful for me.  Lord, I thank you for the help in diet plan.  You care and that means the world to me.  Father, as you continue to search me, help me to listen and obey You – even when others laugh and call me crazy.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.