Made for More

So, it is officially week 7 of Weight Watchers and I am still going strong!  I am on chapter five of my Made to Crave series and this is titled Made for More. Again, very appropriate for what has been going on.   Lysa states that we were made for more than this.   “We were made for victory.  Sometimes we just have to find our way to that truth!”    I actually found myself repeating, “I was made for more than this” multiple times this week.   There were a couple of evenings where some sugar cravings hit me hard and I resisted and stated this several times.  Yesterday at a baby shower I really wanted a cup cake but I kept repeating that statement.   A few evenings I found myself really wanting sweets but settled for fruit instead.  

The author has us focus on a passage from Ephesians 1:17-19.  “I keep asking that God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.  I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.”

 I am going to summarize some of the key points that she wanted us to take away from this passage.  The first thing is be persistent.  Keep asking God for help in this journey!  This is something that I really struggled with in the beginning of this journey.  There is so much hurt and problems out there.  Do I really have a right to ask God to intervene in the simple choices of my life!?  The answer I was able to come to (and I don’t think it happened until I read and reread the chapter and keep rereferencing the quoted biblical chapters is YES!  We are made to honor God in all ways!   We need to remember that our bodies are a gift and need to treat them as such!   So, while I probably have more growth to do in this area I do find myself praying and pleading to my Father more than ever before!  I have also been praising and thanking Him for my successes!

The second point that Lysa waned us to take away from that passage is embrace a true identity.  “We are made for more because we are children of God.”  It is easy to identify yourself not by the relationship with your God, but by circumstances.  Some examples that Lysa Terkeurst used was, “I was….Lysa, the broken girl from a broken home.   Lysa, the girl who walked away from God after the death of her sister…”  We need to find our true identity that we can only find through Him!  

….the forgiven child of God.
….the accepted child of God
….The close child of God.
….the confident child of God.

So, this section really got me choked up!   Having a hard time even writing about it.  It is easy to identify oneself with circumstances or bad choices.  

A very emphasized point that the author revealed was the whole reason we are doing this.  Are we making these healthier choices to lose weight?  Fit into smaller jean sizes?  Gain more energy?  Those are all great reasons but the real reason is to grow closer to Him!   So that we may know Him better!

The last point point Lysa wanted us to take away from the chapter is discover a Hope and Power Like No Other.  Oftentimes when we are trying to change our lives on our own and it does not take long for us to fail.  We need help that is beyond ourselves!  We have that power available to us and all we need to do is ask for it and accept it.

These last few months feel so different for me and it is because of that reason!  I can truly feel the change taking over myself and not just the weight I am losing or the energy I am gaining.  It really does make all the difference to reach that place and beg for help.  It really is one thing to ask for it and another is to accept it!

I want to end this blog with some honestly.  I am struggling this week.  Not with my eating or exercise.  I am right on track with that and that is not by my own power.  Continuing with this journey is honestly beyond me at this point and it surprises me that I am still on track.  Having a bit of a hang up this week and having trouble getting out of this funk.  I started this blog about three days ago and while my reflection for the chapter is finished it was almost painful to do that.  I have a hard time sitting down with reflection when having a hard time without completely breaking down and while I have not gotten to that point I found myself needing to stop multiple times.

I am going to ask for prayers and good thoughts to be sent my way.   Hope to get my happy face back soon!

Tessa