My work gives me opportunities to meet people both face to face and over the telephone. Over time, relationships develop and before you know it the conversation drifts to families, dreams and more.
Well, recently a woman I speak with often was on the phone with me chatting away as we went through a pile of invoices. Things were moving along nicely when suddenly our talk somehow turned to eating habits and weight gain. We discovered that between the two of us, there was almost a hundred unwanted pounds. (Which is funny as I had always pictured this woman as a petite pixie – it would appear that phones can be very slimming).
She went on to tell me that her doctor challenged her to come home after work and go straight to her treadmill. No matter how tired she felt, she had to put in a 10, 20 or 30 minute stint. It didn’t matter how fast or hard she worked, because it was all about setting a discipline of moving and putting her health before anything. She confessed that one day had left her unusually foul but instead of missing her workout, she ate a bowl of dessert as she plodding along. So now, this stranger on the phone was paying it forward and putting the same challenge in my lap. In a moment of weakness or craziness, I accepted.
I got home that evening and texted her a shot of my stationery bike’s screen with the caption, ‘Thirteen seconds . . . not dead yet!’
That simple ‘joke’ has become an accountability tool. Now we text each other once we have mounted our machine of choice, taking a picture and sending it as a witness.
Ladies, I know that some of us mount our scales every day and set ridiculous, unattainable goals. In doing so, we set ourselves up for failure. Why not find a friend – or a total stranger – and become accountable for a simple, small step of change. Then don’t depend on your ‘self-control’ but instead ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with His control. Once we have a healthy habit as part of our life, we can embrace just one more change . . . and then perhaps another . . .
Father, thank You that You designed us and love us just the way we are. Forgive us for neglecting our bodies and allowing our walls to fall down. Help us to strive to build ourselves back to health without allowing our goals or ambitions to turn into idols. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
