MAN DOWN MAN DOWN!!!

Okay, so only Shauna will truly love and appreciate the title of my post. That laugh is for her! :)

5.6

I don't know if you all remember my "59 minutes with little voice" post when I walked my 5k on the treadmill - well on Saturday "little voice" visited me again! Mom and I walked 5.6 consecutive miles. It was pretty liberating...when we got back to the house I was able to actually feel proud about what I had just accomplished, which I don't allow myself to feel often...

...3 hours later...I PAID FOR IT! haha.

You know that saying, "No pain, no gain..." (<-- well, in this instance no LOSS...because we all know I don't want a gain! lol) I was sitting at a family gathering and start having muscle spasms in my right leg and then my left knee started tightening up. INJURED YET AGAIN FOLKS! Stubborn me went walking around an additional 3 hours at World's of Fun later that evening I guess to truly test if I was hurt...haha...yep, I am! The thought of my 5.6 mile accomplishment is still exhilarating though.

As a child, I NEVER finished the mile in school because class would be over before I'd gone the distance. "MILE" was like a cuss word to me in gym class because of the anxiety and fear that would grip my heart knowing that once again I'd watch all my friends lap me on the track as I continued slowly making my way around...alone. I was great at acting like it didn't bother me. The whole class would be back inside the school when my gym teacher would finally say with disappointment, "Mesha, go change clothes, class is over." By the time I got to High School I just freely accepted my "F" for the day when it came to any vigorous exercise. I praise God that throughout my adolescent years I was never teased or rejected due to my weight - but on the flip-side I believe it proved to be my greatest crutch. NONE of my friends ever made my weight an issue, even out of a genuine concern. I steadily increased in weight over the years and although all my friends were within normal weight ranges, they never addressed the fact that I wasn't. I adopted this mentality of "People don't see my weight and I haven't lost anything because of it yet, so why worry about it if I'm happy?"

As compassionate people, we sometimes fear wounding those we love and care about so we simply stay silent. As a result we become more of an enabler than a true friend. A true friend knows how to confront someone in love and address an issue that needs to brought to light. One of the things I look back and regret about my early teenage years is not addressing my weight issue then which is no ones fault but my own. I do regret that not one of my friends loving talked to me about it though. Knowing full well the health risks that are accompanied with being overweight and obesity. I must say there wasn't much that was "true" about the friends I had in early adolescence anyways. Just like so many other rebellious, ungodly teenagers, we participated in all sorts of other harmful things yet no one spoke a word when we knew they weren't beneficial.

It wasn't until I was 16, came to know Jesus and actively became a part of my church that my "circle of friends" changed and a true friend first addressed the issue of my weight along with various other bondages out of genuine love and concern. Her parents were right along with her on that bandwagon with my health and they prompted me to have my thyroid levels re-checked (my previous tests had been negative). Up to that point, no one (other than immediate family) had ever addressed my weight and health conditions. Even my doctors rarely commented on my weight due to the clean bill of health that always reflected from my labs. Finally someone looked further than my immediate reaction and decided my health meant more to them than my temporary hurt feelings. That's what it takes sometimes...it takes that "faithful wound of a friend." I love that scripture because it's so true...oftentimes we have to point out an area of someones life that needs rebuke in hopes of true deliverance and healing even though it may hurt them for a period of time. We have to lovingly take them aside and say, "Hey, this is something you need to take a serious look at because there is something wrong here. I'm coming to you because I care and I'm willing to walk with you through this. I want to help if you'll let me..."

If this post can be of any encouragement to anyone today - I challenge you to go to a friend who may need a "faithful wound" and love them like Jesus! Instead of cowaring in fear of their reaction, lovingly let them know why the issue weighs so heavy on your heart. Whether it be weight, alcohol, drugs or most important of them all...salvation...be a friend and not an enabler. You may be the FIRST and possibly even ONLY person to ever bring the issue to light for real acknowledgment and healing to begin taking place.

I LOVE you all!!!

Verse(s) of the Day:

Proverbs 27:5-6 (NKJV)
"Open rebuke is better than love carefully concealed. Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful."