The Forgiveness Diet

The Forgiveness Diet

He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. Psalm 103:3

“I eat like a bird, but I look like a hippo!” Patsy said. “Dieting just doesn’t seem to work. I think I need bariatric surgery.”

At only five foot three and weighing more than four hundred pounds, Patsy was right in some respects. She had tried multiple diets, plenty of plans, and pounds of pills to suppress her appetite. And they all failed. Due to a fatty liver, her liver enzymes were elevated. Her diabetes was poorly controlled, and her high cholesterol foreshadowed a heart attack. She was on a fast train headed over the cliff to a health disaster from which she might not recover. The one bright spot in Patsy’s health was that her thyroid was working properly—those tests were normal.

The dietitian confirmed that if Patty was eating like a bird, it was more like a flock of birds. She had to be consuming well over 4,000 calories in her “diet food.” I suspected that the problem ran deeper than her fat cells.

“Patsy, tell me about your childhood and growing up with your parents and grandparents.”

She happily told me stories of what sounded like a perfect family life until “Uncle Bob” moved in. Then her eyes darkened as she described how much she and her sister hated Bob.

“Why?” I asked, though I already suspected the answer.

“He hurt us, and I couldn’t tell anyone, or he would hurt my sister. Even though he’s been dead for five years, I still see him in my nightmares. I can’t forgive him for what he did, and I blame myself for all of it.”

Her answer didn’t surprise me; it also gave me the key to her binge eating disorder. “Before we discuss surgery, I’d like for you to see a psychologist and start the healing process of forgiving your uncle and yourself.”

Patsy agreed. Though the physical weight didn’t come off quickly or easily, relieving the emotional weight helped her to get off the train that was bound for the cliff and board a new one that was slowly climbing toward a healthy life.

TODAY’S RX

Sometimes, we need to restore our emotional health before we can fix our physical health. If you need to forgive someone, or forgive yourself, ask God to help you forgive just as he has forgiven you.

Jesus, may I always remember your sacrifice on the cross when I’m tempted to remain angry with someone who has done me wrong. Your death was the ultimate display of forgiveness freely given to those who didn’t deserve it. Thank you for your great love for me.