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The Skinny Psalm 37:4 says that if I, “Delight [myself] also in the LORD: he shall give [me] the desires of [my] heart.” I understand the latter half of this verse two ways: 1. God gives us what we want. 2. God gives us desire for what He wants us to want. Using this scripture, I told the Lord that if it was His idea, and if He wanted me to be a better temple-keeper, He would make me want to want to lose weight, be more fit, and ultimately be more balanced. Sure enough, in His ever-so-gentle, always-so-effective way, He gave me the “want to.” Thirty-five lost pounds later, I am in maintenance mode and so thankful that He gave me the desires of my heart. So, you may ask, “How did you do it? Did you take pills, drink shakes, avoid eating at certain hours, shun carbohydrates, fast, or use magnets in your mattress to coax fat-soaked toxins out of your body and into the fibers of your pillow top?” Um, that’s a negatory ghost rider; I did none of the above. The “secret” to my success was two-fold: eating less and exercising more. Now, before you stop reading, let me say this - this whole thing was a God-idea. He planned it, He finessed me, He allowed me to be impacted by a documentary on fast food, He put His words in my beau’s mouth, He put my niece-in-law in my path at the right place and the right time, and He gave me a desire to make my temple more healthy (preparing me to walk all over Mexico as an Associate in Missions worker!) for His glory. Whenever you find yourself in the change process (pre-contemplation, contemplation, in process of change, relapse), and whatever change you are facing, remember: God has promised to give you the desires of your heart.
The Secret 1. Ask God to give you the desires of your heart, trusting that those desires best compliment the exquisite tapestry of your life. 2. Invite God into every aspect of your life, avoiding the urge to slam the door in His face when He accesses closets you hoped were off His radar. 3. Do the right things for the right reasons, checking your motivation in the process of your change and always remembering Who you reflect. 4. Enjoy the journey, be in the moment, and just breathe. As Nona Freeman, missionary to Africa said, “I have learned to never dread nor anticipate anything.” Notice that each tip started with an action verb? Change is not a spectator sport. It is not easy or painless, and the action part is certainly not optional. But there is nothing quite like having the very One who formed you cheer you on. He knows what motivates you, He knows what you need, He knows the thoughts He thinks about you, and those thoughts are good and peaceful thoughts to bring you to the place He has created just for you, for His glory.
The Send-Off He knew that I, Kendra, epitome of type-A-ness, needed a logical structure for me to accomplish, and then maintain my weight-loss goal. And He knows exactly what you need. Let Him tailor-make your “change-wear” and, in time, it will fit you perfectly.
ninetyandnine.com © 2005, Kendra Gordon --------- Kendra Gordon is the caboose of the six singing Gordon Sisters. She finds herself located in the biggest city in the world (hint: starts with an “M”, and ends with “exico City”), on sabbatical from her “real” life where she is a corporate trainer who moonlights as a graduate student. Though she is in Mexico as a missionary’s assistant, she sneaks away on weekends to sell Louis Vuitton and Gucci handbags on the black market to support herself in the (American) style to which she has become accustomed. |
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