Oh, the Lord knows how much I need this chapter.

I do not take care of my body.   My attitude stinks when it comes to eating and exercising.  You see that avatar that I post on each and every post that I write?  That was probably me when I graduated from high school and that was 27 years ago.   I went to college….and gained weight.  I got married….and gained weight.   I got pregnant… and gained a lot of baby weight that I didn’t work on getting off, so 7 years later when I got pregnant again, I was at a “better” weight, but I still am about 37 pounds overweight according to BMI (which I totally dislike BMI… it is NOT a good gauge of a healthy person…)  Seriously…. when I dropped from “Overweight” to “Normal” in the BMI scale, I was thinner, but I didn’t like how thin it made certain areas of my body.   It didn’t look natural.

But I digress from the point of this topic.  I stink at will power.

So, I am probably about 30 pounds or so overweight.   I need to take care of my body.   And that takes discipline.

Discipline I lack in my time in the Bible.  Discipline I lack in my prayer life.  Discipline that I need to get on  my knees and ask God to help me with.

I’ve probably beat this story like a dead horse, but I had a really dear friend who had breast cancer in her mid-20’s.  She got sick.  Went through chemo.  Went through surgeries.   We prayed for healing.  We laid hands on her.   In the end, she passed away, succumbing to breast cancer.   We all, myself included, prayed that God would heal her so we could have more time with her.   It wasn’t until I became aware that, yes, God is a healer, but sometimes the healing comes in Heaven.  I started praying for healing again for her, and that if it was God’s will for her to be healed on this side of Heaven, that he would.  But I also released her to God if the healing needed to happen with her dying to us, but living with him.   And that’s what happened.  What did she do wrong to contract cancer so young?  Nothing.  Cancer latches on and is an evil tool that Satan uses in his arsenal.  My own mother suffers from cancer and is at this time undergoing chemotherapy.  My mom is the LAST person that I feel should ever get cancer, and Satan knows that.   Did she do anything wrong?  No, she has been the picture perfect vision of Christ to me my entire life.   When I was so obsessed all my young life with my Dad, she sat back and waited, knowing there would be a time when I would seek her out, just like God does.  He allows us free will, knowing full well, that those of us who believe in him may stray and sin, but we always come back to him for repentance and redemption.     Sometimes our bodies get sick.   There is nothing wrong with praying for healing.  Miracles happen.  I have a dear friend that is a coworker who has a new lease on life with an organ transplant that God provided for her from a complete stranger who she now calls her “grafted sister”.  Miracles do happen.  Our bodies can and do heal.

But it is our responsibility to take care of this temple that the Holy Spirit resides in.  I’ve given the Holy Spirit a dump of a place to live.   I need to change that.  He deserves a much better place to live.   I need God’s help and guidance as to what is best for my body.  I need to pray to him to help remove all cravings for sweets that are bad for me, and to give me cravings for his delicious fruits he gives me… natures candy.   I need to get on the bandwagon.  Thank you, Stormie, for this chapter.  It comes at a time in my life where I am really struggling.   Thank you for the words to help me begin my spiritual journey to a healthier body.

What about you?