Before I recovered from eating disorders, I didn’t think I would ever be able to keep dangerous foods like ice cream or chocolates in my home. (At this moment, there’s a bucket of ice cream in my freezer that has gone past its prime because I lost interest in it.) Being normal about food is something I never take for granted. I never thought I would allow my body to have enough fat on it to pinch an inch. I would have jogged it off or purged it by other means before enabling curves to cling to me.
Right now, I can easily pinch an inch.
I’m recovered. I’m normal. I’m thankful to God.
My desperate need to control my body weight has been replaced by my need to cling to Christ. He’s the one who calls the shots now. It’s not a perfect relationship. I’m a work-in-progress.
Some of the things I learned at the beginning of my recovery were:
- It doesn’t hurt to ask God for our needs.
- God will never stop loving us.
- We’re saved by grace—not by works.
- Nature nurtures our spirit because it’s God’s artwork.
- Christianity is a relationship with Jesus, not just a religion.
RECOVERY:
R—relationship
God wants a relationship with you. Being born-again isn’t a religion; it’s being dead to sin and alive in Christ.
E—expect
God is our good Father and he wants us to expect he’s listening to our prayers and answering them in the way that is best.
C—can
We can do all the things God asks us to do by the power of the Holy Spirit in us.
O—only
Trusting Jesus is the only way to be saved; therefore, we cannot earn or lose salvation.
V—victory
God gives us victory over sin when we trust and submit to him.
E—everlasting
God’s love for us is everlasting. Our salvation is everlasting.
R—real
God’s presence in our lives is real. The more we believe, the more we receive evidence of his power at work in and around us.
Y—yes
When we die as a believer, Jesus will say yes to our entry into paradise because we said yes to his invitation to repent and trust in him.
I hope my post blessed you because I was blessed all over again writing about my recovery story. God is good.
Recovery blessings ~ Wendy Mac
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
2 Timothy 1:7 KJV
I have been blessed by your post, Wendy. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThank you for blessing me back, dear Lynn. :)
DeleteThank you Wendy for your honesty and for encouraging so many, i am sure.
ReplyDeleteThank you, dear Tracy. Your honesty about taking care of your health has inspired me to also take care of mine.
DeleteBlessings ~ Wendy Mac
What a wonderful story. I too am recovering but from being in a cultic house church. They taught me so much blasphemy and abused my desire to be healed from my poor vision. Certain verses still trigger bad memories but I now glory in Christ's delivery of me from Satan's lies and liars.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Bruce, for sharing a bit of your recovery story with me. I agree it's hard to hear the grace message in a verse that has been misused in our past. Thankfully Jesus walks with us every day. He restores us because He loves us.
DeleteBlessings ~ Wendy Mac
Thanks for sharing your story, Wendy. How wonderful that God gave you recovery and meaning for your writing through it! Your acrostic is great for me to remember.
ReplyDeleteThank you, dear Sandi. The moment anyone mentions the word recovery, I'm all in--all ears. I'm proud and pleased for each person who announces they're on a recovery journey. The best partner to travel the recovery road with is Jesus.
DeleteBlessings ~ Wendy Mac
Thanks for sharing, Wendy! I'm recovering from being a co-dependent and from relying on food for comfort instead of relying on God. I'm realizing more and more that everyone has struggles. We all rebel against God in our own way. What a relief to admit we need help and allow God to carry the weight He never intended for us!
ReplyDeleteAmen, dear Ruth. I love and agree with these words of yours: "What a relief to admit we need help and allow God to carry the weight He never intended for us!"
DeleteWe're never our best selves until we've accepted God's best for us.
Blessings ~ Wendy Mac
From one work in progress to another, thanks very much for this post, Wendy. So wonderful that you were able to move beyond embarrassment and fear and ask for help from your church family. We all need each other. Thanks for sharing your journey of recovery and faith.
ReplyDeleteThank you, dear Sharon. It's funny how we're usually not thought less of for our confession of need--but more. Desperation makes us braver.
DeleteBlessings ~ Wendy Mac