Last night we enjoyed a casual gathering by the neighborhood pool with some friends. The plan was to swim for an hour, then barbeque. Bring your own meat and a dish to share.
In my mind, this was the perfect healthy outing! I marinated some skinless chicken tenders and chopped vegis and fruit for my dish to share. I had plenty of tasty, healthy food for me to eat regardless of what anyone else brought. I was set!
Until I saw the potato chips. Until I decided to eat Just One. I was hungry. And even though our chicken was cooked and ready a few minutes after firing up the grill, the one-inch-thick steaks took a bit longer and of course we all waited. And while we waited, I ate potato chips - LOTS of potato chips!
But let's get down to it. I KNEW there would probably be potato chips there. I knew someone was bringing baked beans (although I didn't know, until after I ate a small portion, that they would be made with a pound of bacon!) I WANTED to eat these things! As I'm writing this, I'm realizing that I planned in advance to eat these things! So the stomach ache I suffered last night is nobody's fault but my own, as well as the three pounds that showed up on the scale this morning.
It's humbling to realize--again--that I don't really have a handle on my desire to overeat. But I guess that makes me normal. I can only pray that I learned that indulging isn't as much fun as I think it's going to be, and that I can enjoy my friends' company without eating their food..especially when I've brought my own!
It's easy to respond to the promises of forbidden pleasures. But in the light of day, you're left with regrets and unwanted consequences. Thank God there is also forgiveness and hope for tomorrow.
Hugs.
Hi Cindy,
ReplyDeleteI love the ups and downs of your journey!
I was doing a little gardening trying to salvage my new bed of zinnias. I know very little about gardening but wanted to surprise my husband with some zinnias. Turns out that they attract slugs and snails which love to eat the leaves. They also have fuzzy leaves, so the least bit of watering causes the dirt to kick up and stick to them, which then causes the leaves to wilt. But then I found out that they are not "self-cleaning." Turns out that some plants just shed their old, shriveled flowers and leaves. But not Zinnias. You have to get down on your hands and knees and carefully wash and tend to each plant.
Early this morning as I was, once again, cleaning up these high-maintenance plants, I had the image of God doing the same for us. Jesus says, "My Father is the gardener." We are not "self-cleaning" either. But we try to be. Jesus says, "Apart from me you can do nothing."
So we end up at the potato chip bag--or in my case, the Tostitos bag with a large serving of grated cheese.
May we both turn to Him to be cleansed and to ask Him to continue to transform us into His likeness. "What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus."
Happy Sunday!
Love
Your sister