Reflections from one year ago, the day God gave me hope again....

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I walked in and immediately I noticed that she was glowing.  I was meeting my friend who had been my personal cheerleader my entire weight-loss journey for coffee.  When I saw her smile, hope grinned.  Her success at losing 15 pounds was more than obvious.  She was absolutely glowing with joy.  I wanted what she had.  I wanted hope.

She had gotten her vibrant health plan back under control and was eating right.  She spoke life into my hurting heart.  As she told me of her success, with each sip of coffee and with each tear dropped, I realized a hard truth that day.  I had to make some changes.  I was in a desperate and pivotal place, I had lost my will to try.... again.  

I felt hopeless.  

I wanted change,  I needed change, and I needed hope to carry on.  I was desperate for that hope that she had found.  In those hopeless moments, I realized I had to give up food....once again.  

That was the day that hope stuck hard in my throat.

For me losing weight has always been a spiritual battle.  In fact, my journey of losing 104 lbs several years ago was really just the start of my freedom from food.  And when I achieved my goal, I then lost sight of it, because I didn't know how to maintain the loss.  

It was a brand new day on Sept. 24, 2012 as I swallowed my pride, confessed my food addiction, and asked God for hope.  I woke up desperate and hungry, but I was willing to make some drastic changes to get some hope back.  I was hungry to get that hopeful gleam back into my eyes.  I wanted the hope to fill my smile and the glow from my hope-filled soul.

I took a step towards hope. 

Now 58 pounds lost and a year later, I have hope again.  I not only gained hope but I gained a better perspective of how to make healthy changes that make a difference.  I simply made one change at a time.  I considered the costs, I submitted my self-centered addiction-stacked desires and gave up foods I didn't need, to move forward toward my goal.  

In my loss I have gained hope.  Honestly it was always there, it was just sugar-coated,  soaked in coffee creamer, and smothered in salad dressing.  Who can see hope when it's buried under all those preserved calories?  

So do you need a little hope today?  If you looked at the scale this morning and didn't like what you saw, would you be brave enough to admit you have been a little hopeless in your resolve?  Can you give up just one thing today that will give you a hopeful tomorrow?  

I have forgotten what I wanted to eat so bad that caused my strong resolve to cave.   You can have the hope of being God's best too.  If you have 10 pounds or 210 pounds, whatever the amount, the change that God wants to do in you is knocking on the door of your heart.  And in exchange, God slips in some hope that will feed your soul in more ways than that chocolate chip cookie ever could.  So much more...

Do you need a little hope today?  Will you take a step towards hope?  YOU can do it just like I did.  All you  need to do is start...