Tomorrow morning. In less than 12 hours I will be weighing in for my weight watchers program. I don’t have my hopes up. As a matter of fact, I am dreading it. My scales are never on my side. ever. They aren’t good at hiding what they really think…
Losing weight, for me, has become a serious matter of prayer. I am completely unable to follow this program without daily assistance from my Heavenly Father, and so, He and I chat about it regularly. Sometimes I feel as though my body should be responding to all of my hard work more quickly. I mean after all, the Maker of the Universe, is my weight-loss coach – surely the pounds should be melting away.
Shouldn’t they?
I went into this whole “shedding my extra layers” effort with a particular expectation. I believed that He wanted me to take care of my body, gain better self control and be a better mother. (just to name a few reasons…) Therefore, I assumed that He would also help me. On my terms. He would give me the strength and courage to do it… and because I was doing what I thought was His will, in return He was going to do what I wanted. I was going to become a size 10 in 8 short weeks.
I believe in a God who gives the very best to all of His children whom He loves. Not only that, He is a creative God who is even greater than all of His creation. Knowing this, it is not wrong or unreasonable to believe that He is able to do things outside the scope of my imagination.
There are a lot of people, believers, who pray, making unbelievably bold, even gutsy requests. Sometimes He answers and sometimes He doesn’t . In my mind I’m unable to rectify this situation. Why do some people get the response they are hoping for and some don’t? Is it because they “press through to their miracle”? Is it because God loves certain ones more than others? Does He ignore those who “don’t believe enough?” When I read these questions out loud and really think about them, they seem offensive. I’m certain that there are people who feel they know the answers. I don’t claim to be one of them. I can only tell what I know for sure about this…
1. God is a great and all-powerful God. 2. All things are meant to bring Him glory.
In my case, it may mean that He will be best glorified if my journey takes a year and people see Him give me the strength to persevere. Wow is that hard for me to take. A year is certainly not what I prefer, but that is not where my life should be focused. How often I find my heart’s desires are self serving.
My great expectation needs to be a life that brings Him glory. It should not revolve around my personal convenience or satisfaction.
With all of this rolling around in my brain, a familiar Scripture came to mind. When I looked it up, I found there was more to it than the portion I had learned in my younger days.
These were Paul’s words in Ephesians 3:
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Yes He is abundantly able to fulfill our hopes and dreams, but He only moves within His will, which is this: that the body of Christ bring Him glory throughout the generations. And that is what my great expectation should be. His glory known. His will fulfilled. not mine.
Even something as tiny and insignificant as my weigh-in becomes an opportunity to give Him glory, no matter what tomorrow’s outcome is. And that’s where it begins. One person at a time, passing along their story, from generation to generation, telling of God’s amazing work and how he met and exceeded all expectations.
daily portion 