He Cares

It's always humbled and amazed me how much God cares about the details of our lives.  He really takes care of even the simplest things!  For me, I've found myself in awe at the details he's provided;  amazing friends at the perfect time, favorite fashions on sale for 90% off when I could never justify paying full or even half price for something new,  free haircuts when I needed one so bad, and perfect weather on important days.  My list can go on and one.  One year ago I found myself feeling desperation over things that I thought he didn't care about; such as my weight and what I was wearing -- how could I afford to pay for a weight loss program (at the time I was even considering surgery) and or justify buying new clothes that would fit me.  But he has continued to provide everything I needed, even in such a silly need as food and clothing on my weight loss journey.  I always thought this verse was for people who couldn't AFFORD to eat.  But my issues had little to do with money and more to do with self obsession.  But he even cares about my weight loss journey.  And why would that surprise me???

Matthew 6:25-32

 ²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life^[a]?    ²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.

HOWEVER!  There's a rub! I'm going to be honest here.  I've always known that God cares about the details of my life.  However, through my Christian walk, it rarely occurred to me that if God cares about what I eat and how I treat my body, Satan also cares about it and will use it to distract you from God.

This was my realization about 9 months ago.  I was desperately trying to loose weight and get healthy, yet I was struggling with the mental part of the journey.  It suddenly occurred to me that I was intentionally being distracted from God with my obsession about what I was eating, drinking, weighing, and how I was looking.  I was letting these things determine my self worth and and provide me with my self esteem instead of seeking my value and worth as a child of God.  Only when I realized Satan's hold on me as it pertained to food and self worship was I able to let go of these strongholds.  My obsession of how I was looking/wanted to look had a huge bondage for me - and I didn't even have a clue about it.  Satan is sneaky -- he'll try to get his hands in you one way or another.  I was living in pride that I wasn't struggling with any "big" sins - until I realized my sin and idolatry of food was present and equal to the other sins in the eyes of God.  I realized I was personally involved in some spiritual warfare that I didn't even really believe in prior to this journey.  But that's another blog -- something I may share at a later date.  If I posted it, I'm pretty sure any readers that stumbled across it would think I was pretty crazy.  =)

Thanks to God, I've been freed from this bondage.  Don't get me wrong -- Satan still attacks me in this way.  It's still a struggle as Satan continues to find my weaknesses as they often pertain to food and my appearance.  However, as tomorrow marks Good Friday and we celebrate the sacrifice that Christ made for us on the cross, we can truly rejoice in the freedom we gained through his loss.   I truly rejoice in the fact that Jesus conquered death and conquered Satan through his sacrifice.  And through this - I am free.

So what am I eating for Easter Dinner?  My meal will consist of a number of delicious items, yet will continue to honor my body as God's temple, as I indulge in things that are wholesome, free of chemicals and other toxins, and will not attack my cells or my blood sugar, or allow Satan in to attack me and provide me with temptation that would he would, no doubt, claim victory in.     My celebration will be focused on my family who is gathering together WHILE we eat, but not a celebration of the food itself.    This, in itself, is a victory for me. 

Easter Menu:
**I'm in the process of posting links, so if it's not yet posted, check back!!!****

Main Dish: 

     Ham with Ham Gravy

Side Dishes: 

     Garlic Cheesy Biscuits

     Protein Packed Potatoes

     Deviled Eggs

     Company Dinner "Rice"

    Herbed Green Beans

Dessert:

     Lemon Cheesecake   

In Search of a Meek and Quiet Spirit

 

1 Peter 3; 3-6

 ³ Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. ⁴ Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. ⁵ For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands, ⁶ like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.

I don't know when it was, exactly, that it was impressed upon me that I needed to obtain a "meek and quiet" spirit to be a Godly woman.  The topic seriously use to send me spewing!  The term "meekness" has always rubbed me wrong as the image it conjures up for me is of a woman with her head bowed and no personal opinions.  I remember first asking God if I HAD to be this way to be a Godly woman, and then praying for God to MAKE me this woman, even though I felt like it went against every grain of my natural personality.  Didn't God make me boisterous and energetic???  How does this fit in with a "meek and gentle spirit" that he commands we have as Godly women? He never did make me a person to stand with my head bowed and nothing to say.  And secretly, I was relieved.

The verse was pressing on me today.  So I decided to spend some time on the word "meek."  With further study of definition, I have come to learn that society has given us the wrong image of this Christ-like characteristic.  Webster defines meek as  "enduring injury with patience and without resentment" (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meek)  Suddenly, being "meek" brings upon a whole new image.  This new image was profound - and encouraging. 

After spending time researching and defining "meek", I was curious as to the definition of "quiet."  Of course, the primary use of quiet is "little or no activity", however the number two definition is "gentle and easy going." 

So as I continue to cloak myself in Christ-like character, I am striving to "endure injury with Patience and without resentment."  This definition speaks of our inner beauty, what's happening inside when we've been wronged.  Funny that God would plant this on my heart this week, as I have honestly found myself offended by a few people who I feel I have been unjustifiably wronged by!  Now I'm being told to let it go.  Wow, I think it would be easier to keep my head down my mouth shut but be allowed to spew on the inside. 

And to be "gentle and easy going" - that can be difficult, too, especially when I have a strong opinion about something.  My natural tendency is to share my brilliance and my brilliant discoveries with anyone and everyone.  Honestly, I'm always a little shocked when people don't share the same enthusiasm about something as I do.  Even simple things, like food, or movies, or things that I think are funny.   

Yep, clearly it's time to robe myself in this Christ-like characteristic. 

So on today's search for inner beauty, I am working on my meek and quiet spirit.  Just for the record, this goes against my inner sinner.  But with God, all things are possible, right?