Lest anyone think I'm perfect...Three packages of chocolate candy sat for weeks on the lower shelf in our refrigerator.
I amazed myself with my will-power!
Then yesterday, all of it went out the window - candy AND will-power, too!
This is what remains.
This morning as I laid it out on the table for photography purposes,
I faced my weaknesses and embraced the mercy and grace of God to help me overcome
my appetites and lusts that work against health and happiness.
And lo, the pieces that were left held no attraction for me--only the beauty of God's mercy and grace.
So to keep me from being too elated by the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me...For when I am weak, then I am strong. (II Corinthians 12:7-10)
Been there, done that, but, "Praise God!" for His loving grace...
ReplyDelete"I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead. I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."
Love,
Vivianna
Today is a new day sweetie, bless you.
ReplyDeleteMy weakness is fabric..... God has to gently remind me, when I see a beautiful piece of fabric, that there is fabric already waiting to be made into the creation I invisioned! Praise Him for His MERCY,GRACE & GENTLY REMINDERS!!!!
ReplyDeleteRebecca, I am so like you, I too had a chocolate bar yesterday, the first one since April. Willpower will not do it for us, we need a higher power to take us where we need to be. Trust in your prayers and God will answer. Be healthy my friend, and take one hour at a time......:-) Hugs
ReplyDeleteI love that we can start over each day again. God is so gracious to us. Lately, I have been very involved with guests and grandkids and lots of social eating situations. I have not been disciplined. Hopefully for your sake, the chocolate coconut craving is done and dealt with. I had a bag of chocolate chips in my pantry for nearly two months when I was doing so well on my diet and they never even called to me. Then one day, I wanted to eat them all day long and finally gave in. I keep wondering how long until food loses its appeal? If I dieted successfully for one year, would I have better eating habits for life?
ReplyDeleteOh dear, I see we have a similar thorn in the flesh. You just don't know, Rebecca, how grateful I was to see you are not perfect! (deep breath and sigh) Isn't this just like so many of those "lusts of the flesh"? We think we will absolutely die if we don't have something, and then when we get it, so often there is no joy about the thing after all. We have one of those big unmentionables in our family room right now. Seemed like a good idea at the time...now we rarely turn it on because so little good comes of it and it has a tendency to make us cranky. I absolutely love how eloquently you said "I faced my weakness and embraced the mercy and grace of God to help me overcome..." If being an overcomer depended on will-power none of us would have a prayer. But it truly does depend on our embracing the mercy and grace of our very great God. As the Heb. 12:11 verse says, we are being trained by by discipline. It is a process. Thanks for sharing this!
ReplyDeleteHi! Oh... This is a great post!
ReplyDeleteHow often do I remember what one of my daughter, Amanda's friends said as she left half a piece of choco cake on her plate...to be thrown away.
"Either way, it's going to be wasted...in the garbage or in my body... I'd rather it in the garbage."
I always remember this...but don't always abide...
Love your side bar quotes! The C.S. Lewis one I will pass along... an outstanding man, wasn't he?!
All the best, Maria
Dear friend,
ReplyDeleteTemptations come in all shapes and sizes! You give in but then the best happens...Our Lord hears our plea and takes away those desires. Isn't that the most wonderful gift?
My biggest temptation is chocolate ~ the Lord has basically shown me that if I give in and have that chocolate, my sugar will spike to very dangerous levels.
My dear friend, thank you for sharing this and encouraging us along our walk to better health ;)
In His Love and Peace,
lady m