Thanksgiving is past. Christmas is over. New Year’s Eve is just a few days away. Soon, the world will return to normal and everyone will say, “The holidays were great…it’s so sad they are over!”
But for me, this season continues into January. You see my birthday is January 13 and my husband celebrates his birthday on January 30. And if you’ve been following my blog, you know that I have a granddaughter who will be joining us any time now, so we’ll have yet another birthday to celebrate in the midst of this period.
So you see, our celebrations begin with Thanksgiving and continue through to the end of January.
What I have discovered is that making New Year’s resolutions on January 1st that revolve around food and weight loss just don’t work for me. I can guarantee that the celebrations in January will involve good, decadent foods that don’t belong on a resolution list.
So last year, I decided to wait until February 1st to make these resolutions. It worked! For a while. Then it became more and more difficult to follow this plan because of health issues. Mainly plantar fasciitis. The pain in my feet has made it painful to do any type of exercise.
I understand that my weight loss isn’t solely dependent upon my movement. I must also eat less and eat the right foods. However, after being discouraged, it was easier to fall back into my old routine and eat my favorite foods, none of which are of value to my physical well-being.
So here I am, months later, still with painful feet and a poor diet.
I recall some of the words from a Bible study that made such an impact on my life. Made to Crave[i] by Lysa TerKeurst must come back into my life. Her encouragement two years ago allowed me to understand my desires and cravings and that God designed us to crave Him, not food.
So as this year comes to a close and a new one begins, I know that God is the only One who can fill the void in my heart. He is the only One who can satisfy that deepest desire. He is the only One or thing I am to crave.
There are some great Bible verses Lysa shares in this book that I’d like to pass along. God’s Word is such an encouragement to me in all other areas of my life, why shouldn’t it be same for weight loss? I pray that you’ll find some encouragement through these words as well.
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.” (Isaiah 43:18-19 – NIV)
“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world.” (1 John 2:15-16 – NIV)
“Everything is permissible—but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible—but not everything is constructive.” (1 Corinthians 10:23 – NIV)
And I love this one. Israel had been wandering around the hill country for a long time. Then God said to them, “You have made your way around this hill country long enough; now turn north.” (Deuteronomy 2:3 –NIV)
I have been on this journey long enough. It’s time for me to end it.
So with God’s help (and a visit to the orthopedic doctor), I am on a path that will take me where I want to be. No, where God wants me to be.
You see, when I feel the way I do, I am not useful in God’s Kingdom. It’s difficult for me to move. It’s difficult to find motivation. It’s difficult to jump in and help. And that is exactly where Satan wants me to be.
What about you? Are you in need of a change? Do you need to head north? Now your issue may not be food and exercise. It may be laziness, or pornography, or gossip, or ______ (you fill in the blank). Whatever it is, God tells us we’ve been doing it long enough. It’s time to try something different. Something new. Like following His commands and craving Him alone.
Now that I’ve said it here on my blog, for the whole world to see, I suspect my motivation will increase. But I know my plans will succeed as I place them into my Father’s hands. He will increase my productivity and desire to do this because I’ve given to Him.
What a great year 2013 is going to be!
Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Donna