Blessings Ahead

Sandwiched between “consider it” and the blessing of becoming mature and complete that we read about last time in James is a key truth that can enable us to find joy in any circumstance:

Between any trial and the blessing that comes from that trial, there is a pathway we must walk — that pathway is perseverance. Perseverance means having an urgency, firmness, resolve, and consistency. And, while the joy of the blessing may seem a long way off, signposts or mile markers of joy line the way. These will help us persevere with resolve and consistency if we “consider” them.

The first signpost we can consider in any circumstance, whether food related or otherwise, goes like this: “I might not be able to see the blessing right now, but this trial may be a protection—shielding me from something in the future that I may not see.”

Let’s consider what that protection might be. For example, I’ve realized that, had I never had a weight issue, I would have never been concerned about my health. In my mind, skinny equaled healthy. If I could have stayed skinny while living on a diet of chips and soda, I would have. I would never have acknowledged my body’s needs for vitamins, fiber, healthy fats, and protein to regenerate healthy cells.

If my weight hadn’t become an external indication of an internal situation, I never would have pursued healthy choices until I was facing a health crisis. Yes, this learning has helped me lose weight but, more importantly, it has forced me to learn about healthy eating as well as how to prevent disease, be more active, raise healthy children, and maybe even live longer. This gives me a measure of joy to persevere.

The second signpost we can consider to help us persevere is provision. Maybe God is providing me with many things I never expected to come from a trial. I’ve found camaraderie with my accountability friend that actually makes this food journey fun. I have found a surprising love of strawberries, hummus, snap peas, and many other good food choices. I can honestly say I’ve enjoyed discovering these wonderfully healthy foods at which I once turned up my nose. I crave what I eat. The more I provide my body with healthy foods, the more I crave healthy foods.

The final signpost we can consider along a path of perseverance is process. I have finally realized making lasting changes is a process. There are no quick fixes. There will be good days and bad days. But, most importantly, I’ve realized this isn’t as much about losing the weight as it is gaining truth—the truth of who I am in Christ and how I am made for more than this constant, self-defeating struggle. It’s the truth that reminds me a scale can measure my physical body but never my worth as a woman. And it’s the truth that God loves me the way I am, but He loves me too much to leave me stuck in a place of defeat.

Through it all I’ve found a closeness to God I couldn’t have imagined would have come out of a struggle with food. And, on top of everything else, God has used this trial to connect me with others and to help them with their weight struggles.

As we stop to consider the protection, the provision, and the process this trial has brought to us, we will find a measure of joy to persevere. Persevere—onward and upward, dear friend.