Along with my weight loss journey, I battle to regain my health from the accidents. Today I had another bout with head stuff while I tried to work on a proposal for a new book. Infuriating!!
Still, I must be grateful for the healing I have experienced. There is much to be proud of, hopeful for, thankful about.
This journey to lose weight inside and out is not a one time push. It is a lifestyle change. It’s being willing to care about my health, to look life straight in the face. To prioritize choices that make me stronger.
I will not return to the darkness.
I’m reminded of one afternoon while I laid on my bed listening to an audio book. (It was all I could do for long hours last summer.) I immersed myself in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. In one scene (which isn’t in the movie) the good guys have just won the great battle. Aragorn waits outside the city gates. He doesn’t want to enter as King until all is done properly. But there are wounded inside, in the healing rooms, who need him. He decides slips into the city under the cover of darkness, cloaked in a plain robe to hide his identity.
He goes to heal, not to rule.
Once there he calls for healing herbs, then lays hands on a wounded friend, drawing out the poison of the darkness. Those who have been closest to the enemy in the battle have the deepest wounds, and only the Healer can bring them back from despair.
I laid there and prayed to Jesus, “Draw out the darkness.”
He has.
Real Time Update:
The deep darkness is gone, but of course life still throws curve balls. The question is what do we do with the sucker punches? Drown them in calories? Climb in bed and pull the covers over our head?
Don’t get me wrong. I think there are times we HAVE to take a break, rest, refuel, heal. But in the normal curve balls of life, what choices heal instead of exacerbate the problem? How is caring for the physical self connected to the healing of the whole?
What Say You?
PS. I had a few people new the to blog the last few days. In case you’re confused, the main section of the blog is a revealing of my weight loss dairy, written about two months ago. The real time update is my commentary from today. (And the pictures on my blog yesterday show a weight loss of between 30 and 35 pounds, not the 20 I talked about in the main part of the blog.)
Tagged: choices, darkness, getting well, healing, Lord of the rings, weight loss
Paula's Blog 
I think one big choice to heal, instead of exacerbate is taking every thought captive. Following what we’re taught in Phil 4:8, thinking on the things that are true, noble…praise worthy, etc. We (mostly women, some men) tend to take a thought and run with it…true or not, playing out different scenarios in our head. When we catch ourselves doing that, we should ask “is this TRUE?” Real truth…not partially true, not what we wish were true, not what we’re afraid MIGHT be true..but is it True? If you can’t say that it is without a doubt Truth, then STOP thinking about it. Start singing a praise song (out loud or silent, whatever the situation) or start praying for someone, quoting scripture, planning dinner…whatever takes your mind off of that thought. Our mind is a powerful tool, but we have to make sure its being used in the right way.
Great thoughts, Caryl. Thank you for sharing them.
I am thrilled for you Paula! I characterize my journey similarly. I want to like the “outside” me as much as I respect the “inside” me. I know I said like/respect but that seems to be what fits now. It took a long long journey of prayer, Faith, trust and much painful and sometimes joyful self examination to grow up to this point…the journey of the soul. Similarly the journey of the body will take time, faith, trust and sometimes pain and sometimes joy. I am ready for it. I have once and forever decided to silence my inner Don Rickles (as I call the derogatory voice that usually omes when I look in the mirror). Peace be with you, and with us all. And by the way, you look fabulous!
Great comment, Sally! You said it so well. Thank you.