As You Wish

The first movie I ever watched with my husband was The Princess Bride. We sat in my parent's house, in the family room, on a green couch we eventually owned after we were married. A large bowl of popcorn separated us, as our hands bumped and explored for kernels of microwave popcorn. To this day, this movie is iconic in our marriage, often providing the closing lines to our goodbyes and motivates many inside jokes. It was the first movie we purchased together once we were married, and the only movie we have ever watched more than once. I have always been moved and oddly inspired by Wesley's love and devotion to Princess Buttercup, continually serving her and never giving up on rescuing his damsel. But today, God has brought it to mind to challenge me to a bigger task. God has challenged me to be like the Farm Boy, and say, "As You Wish."

Much of my eating career has been a struggle. At times, my mouth has won. At times, my will through the help of the Lord has been victorious. After giving birth to three children, I have seen my mouth win on many occasions. Though I love my children with a passion, at times I am a poor manager of people and life can get stressful when trying to meet the needs of and serve these three precious individuals created for God's purpose, which is often to teach me a lesson. When that happens, my ugly foe called food provides a luring song that says, "Come to me and I will comfort you. Immediately. It won't hurt this one time. Tomorrow is a new day. Plus, you have been stressed. You deserve to eat me. Who cares if you aren't hungry. Live to eat, not eat to live."

WHAT A LIE! Only the Lord can satisfy.

Isaiah 55:1-3

Come, all you who are thirsty,

come to the waters;

and you who have no money,

come, buy and eat!

Come, buy wine and milk

without money and without cost.

Why spend money on what is not bread,

and your labor on what does not satisfy?

Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,

and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.

Give ear and come to me;

hear me, that your soul may live.

I will make an everlasting covenant with you,

my faithful love promised to David.

And what does this have to do with the Princess Bride? Well, I went to see my creative doctor today, who is so patient with me and listens to my plight. We have created a plan of attack to sharply kill the appetite that lurks within me for more food. And it is sharp, I will let you know. We have a physical plan that I am to employ.

I can do all that my doctor wants me to do. I can exercise. I can eat half of my dinner. I can eat whole foods. I can avoid sugar. I can go to bed early. By doing this, I may lose weight or I may not. Above all else, if I am doing this whole weight loss thing for myself, to get into my old clothes, to simply be healthy, that is CRAP.

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 10: 31

More than my lifestyle has to change. All that I do, including using a fork to feed my face, must be done to please God. Translation: don't eat if you aren't hungry. Stop when you are full. Don't daydream about your next meal.

Deuteronomy 30: 16-18 says, "in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the LORD your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess."

My heart and soul must become so devoted to the Lord, that I follow His ways, His commandments, His statutes. I want to enter my Promised Land. If I run to food for comfort and not to the Lord, then food is an idol in my life. If I do all that my doctor wants me to do, but I do not change my heart, then I will go right back to where I am today, appalled at what I have done to God's creation. I want to be blessed; I want to be able to cross over, to leap over, to vault over, to blad over, to skip into the Jordan where the clothes fit and I am at a healthy creation.

So, I will do what my gracious doctor says, because I believe he is a good and wise man. But at the same time, I will make my entire body submit to a higher authority, the Sovereign God, whose Salvation we will soon celebrate. And each time I am tempted to give in to my false idol, I will say, "As you wish."

I feel better now.