Divine Intervention

On Saturday evening I attended a Bible Study.  We were finishing a book study that led us to a discussion about the Lord speaking to us. As I drove home, I drove in silence.  I asked the Lord to speak to me, tell me something profound, offer me words of wisdom, and tell me what’s next.  I sat in silence.  There wasn’t a loud gong or a beautiful butterfly.  A song didn’t suddenly play on the radio with words to guide me in a specific direction. Instead, a thought popped into my mind.  That thought will transform this blog (and gives me heart palpitations). 

Naturally, I am semi-petrified that the thought was, “Blog about how your faith intertwines with your need to lose weight.”  I tried to submerge the thought, but it continues to resurface. Why would I try to submerge it and why am I semi-petrified? Blogging about your weight and quest for health is relatively safe.  Blogging about your faith opens you up to persecution.  Even using some of these words make me worry that I will come across as a total nut.  I was raised in a Christian home.  Even when my parents were separated or divorced, we went to church every Sunday.  I was baptized, had my first communion, was confirmed, married in a church, and occasionally attend church.  I’m not what I think of when I think of “those holy roller” types who would write a blog about faith and weight.

I am just an average, female, middle class, American with an obesity issue.  I happen to be Christian.  I’m usually careful who I share this detail with.  I would prefer people ask me questions about my faith, rather than pass judgment on how I think or what I believe.  To clear a few things up, I believe in one God.  I believe in treating everyone with respect and loving they neighbor.  You, my neighbor, may be Buddhist and prefer to date women or men or both. I still love you.  You, my neighbor, may be atheist and vegan.  I still love you. You, my neighbor, may be any number of scenarios and I will choose to love you.  Not only do I believe in respect, but I also don’t think your faith has to look exactly like mine…or even remotely close to mine.  Some of the most spiritual people I know, don’t step foot inside a church.  Some of the most difficult, hypocritical, and any other negative adjective to describe people I know, go to church every Sunday without fail.  Attending to an organized religious event does not somehow determine what is in your heart.  Hopefully, you are either convinced that I am not a “crazy, holy roller” which helps you to decide this is a blog worth reading or you are now so offended that you stop here.  Either way, that’s okay.

If you have decided to keep reading, welcome.  Welcome, to this new journey I am embarking on. I have no idea what is going to come, but trust that just like I was led to revolutionize my blog, I trust that the words I need to express will naturally come forward.