Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,  fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.  Hebrews 12:1-3

 

24 grams of carbs.  A 52 on the Glycemic Index which only goes up to 100.  Bananas.  No really, I’m talking about bananas.  The bright yellow half-moon shaped fruit that is rich and creamy and satisfying, especially with a tablespoon of peanut butter or Nutella.  My favorite snack these past several weeks has betrayed my sense of food trust.  As I stared at the numbers in bold black type I wanted to cry out in my best Dr. Doofenshmirtz voice, “Curse you bananas!!”  (If you don’t understand the Dr. D reference, talk to a child—preferably one with whom you have a healthy relationship and are friendly with their parents.)

You see, over the past couple of weeks my weight has hovered about a pound and a half over my “acceptable range” limit.  I know you’re probably thinking to yourself, “Seriously?  A pound and a half?  So what?”  The “so what” for me is that over the past year I have worked hard to lose over 50 pounds.  And when my weight goes over my “acceptable range”, I get a little panicked.  The skinny girl within me fought hard for this victory, and she’s not letting the fat girl out of the headlock without a pretty good fight!

Of course, I can’t blame it all on bananas.  It was probably more the pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin yogurt and pumpkin scones I’ve enjoyed over the past week that really edged the scale up. (Hmmm….. do you sense a pattern?)  Oh, and the Red Apple Ales I drank.  I deeply apologize if you’re a tea-totaler, but I like to think that Jesus wasn’t opposed to popping open a cold one with the disciples after a particularly strenuous day of ministry.

All kidding aside, I have to confess that sometimes I get tired of working to make healthy choices day in and day out.  Sometimes, instead of passing on the potatoes, I just want to slam my hand down on the table and yell, “Pass the potatoes, NOW!!!!”  Sometimes I want a break from conscious living.  And some days, that transfers over to my faith life as well.

There are times when living a life of faith wears me out.  I don’t want to do what God has on the agenda for today.  I’m tired of “blooming where I’m planted”, working hard to maintain a positive attitude, finding the God-moments in the midst of the everyday mess.  Sometimes, instead of trying to see the other side, to empathize with those who are struggling, I just want to say, “You know what, life is hard.  Deal with it and move on.”

When confronted with a negative, egotistical or mean person I would like to not model Christ-like behavior and instead simply say, “I don’t like you.  I’m not going to like you.  Don’t talk to me anymore.”

Some days, my selfish, judgmental, hypocritical, uncaring nature kicks into overdrive and I’d rather lay on the couch binging out on Hallmark movies and dessert than doing the work God has placed before me.

But here’s what I love, and I mean LOVE about the Lord My God.  His grace is infinitely big enough to cover up all of my absolute failures as a human being.  In fact, when I fall off the healthy food bandwagon, God doesn’t come to me and rub my nose into the extra pound or so flashing on the scale, ranting and raving like some overzealous personal trainer.  Instead, he quietly whispers to my heart a message of grace and redemption.

This is a life-long journey, He says to me.  It’s the culmination of healthy choices made over a lifetime that really counts.  Don’t beat yourself up.  Just keep working toward our goal of living a healthy lifestyle.

Likewise, when I feel fed up with living out the Call to show God’s love to those I meet on a daily basis, God doesn’t typically give me the swift kick in the gluteus maximus I deserve.  Instead, God gives me a quiet place to rest my mind.  He offers up time and space for me to focus on Him, to feel His presence, to renew and re-energize and refocus.

This is a life long journey, He says to me.  It’s the culmination of choosing to follow the path which I lead you down over the course of your lifetime that really counts.  Just keep looking to Me.  Come to Me, talk to Me, rest in Me.  Keep working toward our goal of living a life that reflects My Love and Grace.  Just keep trying.  I am with you, every step of the way.

I am humbled by the Grace and Mercy our Creator has for me.  I am convicted by His steadfast devotion.  I am moved by his Strength to get up and keep going.  And I am hopeful, because of His Perfect Love that I will one day hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Wishing you God’s Amazing Grace today.

Blessings and Peace,

Sara

P.S. Congratulations to Tina from Christian Joy Creations for winning the giveaway!!  Not only is she an amazing woman of God, she is also my personal health coach and has taught me much about the power of a journey!!