June 25, 2013 - Thanks For My Freedom

GM Fam, The blog this morning may be a wee bit more tender than other times, but I really want to share something personal that hit my heart. Most of you know, as we live in this world daily, that suffering does not discriminate. None of us is exempt from it's gripping claws. How well we know this. As the day wore on yesterday I thought to myself, "drinking all this water is torture to me. Sometimes I can barely swallow another thing. It's killing me." REALLY? Have you ever had that "thought" about something related to your health? I have! Another green bean????? UGH! As I was laying in bed last night, reviewing my day and speaking to God, my heart was drawn to a video I watched yesterday, Stella's Voice, about girls being trafficked in another country. As I listened to the stories from the girls, I heard such huge confessions of suffering. My chest ached as I allowed myself to walk with them for just a few moments. Suffering. But as I lay in bed reflecting, I was brought to my pitiful statement of consuming huge amounts of water and how that was "suffering." Just being honest. I awoke this morning with a new confession. I am thankful to be able to drink that water as a FREE person, not a suffering person. God help me to never "lightly" use the word suffering again as it relates to the grace and freedom extended to me as it relates to my health. Eating beets and 4 oz of lean protein isn't suffering - although I have "said" that many times. I know that sometimes I am kidding, but I want to be quick to thank God for his kindness to ALLOW me the freedom to choose health, my own food, have the availability to consume as much water and whenever I like, the freedom to shop for my healthy choices and on and on. Can you see this with me today? We are not suffering to be healthy. We may not get to eat everything we "want", but that is certainly not suffering. Right? Perhaps this makes you smile as you celebrate the freedoms we have on our journey. We CHOOSE health. Let's embrace all the goodness God extends to us and remember to bless God each time we consume another cup of water as opposed to equating that to suffering. This was a tweak to ME from the Holy Spirit. Maybe you can see some truth in this for you as well. Tomorrow we will laugh as we talk. PK