The Journey: Let Them Eat Cake

ACT I
SCENE ONE

Her eyes bulged and she looked at the numbers again. "No! That can't be right. There is no way I gained three pounds!" Her eyes fill with tears. "It's not fair! God it's not fair!"

"Fine. Fine. What good does it do to even try?" With her hand braced against her aching back, she hobbles into the kitchen, takes milk and eggs out of the fridge and slams them on the counter along with cinnamon and nutmeg. "It's been months since I've had french toast. I love french toast." She whisks the ingredients together.

"See that God. That's what I'm having for breakfast!" She dips bread into the egg mixture and places two pieces in a skillet, then grabs the butter and syrup out of the cupboard. She's crying hard now, tears streaming down her cheeks. "It's not fair. Not fair," she sobs, realizing the more upset she gets the more her back hurts. "I'll never lose any weight. My back is never going to feel better."

"I stuck to my diet this week . . . all except that small ice cream cone I ate yesterday. It was a small one . . . and the sherbet I had four times this week, but they were small servings . . . "

After setting the toast on a plate, she slathers it with butter. "Do you see this? I'm using butter!" Drizzling syrup over the confection, she adds, "And syrup!"

The meal completed, she stands and stares at it. She doesn't even want it. She's too upset. Instead, she goes to the fridge and takes out a container of yogurt.

_____________

This could be a funny scene. But it's not. It's pretty close to what happened in my house this morning.

Perhaps this is even too transparent for me, but I've just got to be real about this. Taking off a facade of perfection is the only way we can truly help one another.

I am so ashamed of my attitude and disrespect toward God. He's the One who loves me more than I can even imagine. The One who has stood with me through good and bad. The One who has not only forgiven all of my wickedness but who offered His own Son so I could spend eternity with Him.

When I stood on the scale this morning it was my own sin that stared up at me, no failure on God's part. It's true my metabolism is on the slow side, but I know that. I am well aware of my parameters for weight loss so when I blow it I'm the one at fault.

The french toast went down the garbage disposal and I went to my Heavenly Father and asked for His forgiveness. He is full of grace, and I am forgiven. Our relationship is restored. The next step was to ask Him for His help. After prayer, I went to a devotional that I love -- Streams in the Desert. These words shouted at me from the page. "A life without prayer is a powerless life." 

I pray, all the time. But strangely enough, I haven't been praying about what I eat or what I'm about to eat. I haven't asked directly for guidance about what ought to go in my  mouth--a HUGE oversight. I don't comprehend why I haven't done that. I'm a prayer. This matter for prayer is going to become a new habit. I'm going to pray often . . . not just about the big stuff (or so called), but about every bite that goes in my mouth.

I will get back to you on this. In the mean time, Let THEM eat cake. I'm not having any.

Grace and peace to you from God,

Bonnie