I believe I will only be successful in my struggle with overeating and a tendency toward being sedentary with God's help. I'm sharing a prayer I wrote to share with you what is on my heart, and with the idea that you might share it with others you know who need it.
Dear Lord,
So many people, including me, are blessed with an abundance of access to food, the opportunity to eat just about whatever and whenever we want. And I am blessed with the leisure of a job allowing me to sit in a comfortable chair for long hours in a climate-controlled environment. I find it hard to be moderate in eating and diligent in exercise. It is hard to take the long view of my behaviors, to eat less and exercise more. And yet, I must take the long view because there are long-term costs of excess to my personal health, to my ability to serve others, to carry out the works of mercy toward your children. I wish to be healthier also to conserve medical resources for those who need them most. With all this in mind, I beg to be delivered from mindless eating and thoughtless grocery shopping. Help me to deal with anxieties in ways other than consuming comfort foods. Give me energy to take the time to plan meals and exercise carefully. I realize that exercise and fitness can bring competition and vanity, so as I move forward in my journey toward better health, I pray that I am supportive and loving of others at every stage of health, and ask that you keep my vanity in check.
Jesus, from all the things that lead me to overeat and not exercise, and generally treat my body unlike the temple you have made it to be, please deliver me.
Amen.
That's a good prayer, and I think the key word is "mindless." I have the same struggles, but when I am mindful of my desires to eat instead of mindlessly obedient to them, that helps me to treat them appropriately. Likewise, when am mindful about the need for my body to exercise, rather than just the abstract obligation to do it, I am more willing to get up and move. I join you in this prayer.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Zeb! One of my sisters of charity friends said this doesn't seem like it applies to me, and I would imagine people would say the same of you since you're so trim. Which just goes to show, we often pass judgment without knowing another's struggles! Be well!
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