It's that time of year when all I want
to do is drink apple cider and eat fudge. all. day. Ronnie and I wanted to prepare for Thanksgiving by going on the Whole30 diet. We tried it for about 12 hours and we both caved to Ben and Jerry. I suppose we have a sort of weakness to sweets.
All that to say, don't get too caught up in your weight. Which is way easier for me to say than to actually live by. Do I want to see my scale go down? Of course I do. Do I think it's important to exercise? For sure. But, I'm learning that a lower weight does not necessarily mean a healthier body or a smaller size. Sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn't. I do realize I'm not a quintessential heath expert on fitness or diet, so this can be taken with a grain of salt. However, if you feel yourself chained by comparison or defeat, let it go. I weigh 10lbs more than I did a few years or so ago, but I'm 2 pants sizes smaller. Could I improve? Sure, but that's not the point.
The point is, we women can be so hard on ourselves if we don't fit this mystical mold of what we think we should look like or think we should feel like. Satan likes to play off of our weaknesses of comparison, anxiety, anger, stress, and just a plain ole’ rainy day. We must know our weaknesses and let Jesus be our
strength. We must remember that
we have been created in the image of God and made new in the likeness of Jesus
Christ. We find our true identity there and we fight our fleshly urges with the
power of his Holy Spirit.
So, my food advice? Practice moderation in every aspect of life. Thank the Lord for good chocolate and friends to share it with. Enjoy the mundane of apple cider and grandma's fudge as the leaves change.
Being a female, a wife, a mother, a friend, a daughter, and a pastor's wife are all nouns I would use to describe me. It's hard to juggle all the roles in today's society. So here's a short list of what I'm learning and working through:
1. Sometimes God does not meet my expectations. However, that does not mean I'm right or that He loves me any less. Sometimes junk happens, it stink for sure. It should serve as a reminder that the Earth is just temporary. We are all passing through; some of us just get a head start. Romans 8:28, " and we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. "
2. Grace is real and should be accepted fully. I tend to go over scenarios in my head of how I could have handled a situation better. Romans 5:20b says, "But where sin increased, grace increased all the more". No matter how many mess-ups I have, the grace of God trumps it. Matt Chandler talks about how Jesus paid all our past sins, current struggles, and future screw-ups on the cross. So we should live in that freedom.
3. I'm weak and that's ok. I typically think I should be known as Dr. Marci Parrott, PHD, MD, MSN, PLLC, all knowing guru. The truth is that it's ok if I don't know something and I'm not perfect. When I'm not perfect it creates a need for me to lean into and depend on the one perfect god, Jesus.
4. Be Honest. Some days I just don't feel like it. I don't want to read my Bible or pray or sing or journal...gasp. Remember that grace, it hopefully is something I let reign in me and feel the freedom to pour my heart out to the Lord. Ask him to change me. Psalms is full of prayers from David asking the Lord deep questions and searching his heart for truth. I know that most often when I do not feel like spending time with God, that's the time I most need to.
5. Finish Well. We've all been there where we look at the clock praying for bedtime so we can tuck the kids in, eat ice cream, and watch our dvd'd shows. Just as you get cozy under the blanket and take your first bite, someone starts whining they are thirsty, need an extra hug, or a bedtime story. We get annoyed, lose our temper, and tears roll. Nevermind the fact that you have played patty-cake 100x, thrown the football, painted nails, and cut out cute pumpkin shaped pb&j's. It can all be undone in a matter of 120 seconds if we don't take a step back, breathe, and offer grace to those special people in our homes.
