As I was getting ready for church this past Sunday morning, I caught a glimpse of someone in the mirror. Someone who I haven't seen in a very, very long time. I caught a glimpse of the girl I used to be. The girl who has been hidden behind pounds of overweight for far too long.I was thinking back this past week and I've been on a continual journey towards freedom and healing. The girl behind the overweight has been there for various reasons....guilt, disappointment, self-preservation, fear, nonacceptance, loss of hope, and feelings of unworthiness to name a few.
I was thinking back to when Cliff & I were first married. Cliff was in the Navy at the time and stationed in Jacksonville, FL. I was 19 and had never really been away from home before. Now I found myself in this strange city, far from home with no life, no friends, and no car. Cliff did what he could but when you are in the service, you are married to it in a sense. We joined a fairly large church just across the street and when I look back I wish someone there had reached out to that very sad, very lonely, and very homesick girl. So I spent my days cleaning our little apartment, baking bread, and eating, while my negative thoughts reached a new level.
I do not hold anyone responsible for the over abundance of food I have put in my mouth over the years. And looking back, I have learned a valuable lesson...that I need to be intentional and in tune to the needs of others. I didn't reach out to anyone in that church....I didn't tell anyone how sad or lonely I was. I didn't know how and I didn't know to whom I could go. I can't change my past but I can learn from it and change my future. People's ignorance of me does not define who I am. God's Word does. And God's Word also goes on to tell me how I am to treat other people....especially those who are overlooked, hurting, or sad.
