...and I do too!

When SOMETHING means a lot to you, you want to share about it, right?

When SOMEONE means a lot to you, you are proud to talk about that person to others and share how much you love them, right?

When OTHERS mean a lot to you, you want to share with them things that will help their life, right?

Reason I say all of this is because yesterday I really did some thinking. About an hour before my work day ended, I had two customers sit down at my desk that I had the opportunity of talking to for a considerable amount of time. Our small talk ranged from my "easy button" on my desk, to the chairs at Cracker Barrell, credit card fraud and weight loss.

As you all know, weight loss and better health means a lot to me and in turn I find myself always wanting to share. I've mastered turning any conversation into one concerning weight loss and how it really is possible to conquer obesity. Someone could walk up and be like, "Did you know your car is getting towed," and I wouldn't be shocked if I responded with, "Really? Well did you know that one year ago my life was being towed away because my body was broke down, beat up and just in the wrong place." Okay, maybe that's not too realistic, but I think you get the point.

Well, ironically enough, we ended up talking about the "Biggest Loser" competition I'm hosting at work and how I've lost 122 lbs in one year. Both of them gave their "Congrats!" and proceeded to joke about how they could lose a few pounds. The usual questions were asked:

"Did you have surgery?"
"Are you on any kind of diet plan?"
"How did you do that?"

Then I proceeded to pull out the KC Fit Mag and show them my "Halfway There" article (perfect reading material while a customer waits...lol). That's the point of the conversation where it took a pivotal turn that gave me chills - a dose of numbing REALITY.

The gentlemen states, "Wow! You must feel a whole lot better?"

"OH YES!" Then I pulled up my previous blog and read off the daily struggles I faced prior to making it this far...

· Had excruciating heel spurs

· Severe acid reflux and indigestion

· Lower AND upper back pain

· Knee/joint pain

· Restless sleep

· Daytime wheezing

· Shortness of breathe

· Inability to stand for extended periods of time w/o pain

· Abnormal fears of death at night (from weight related risks: heart attack; stroke; suffocation from excess weight around neck as I laid down; sleep apnea; aneurysm - I always feared no one would find me and paramedics would have excess struggle to revive me due to weight)

I watched as this couple turned to emotionally look at one another while nodding, then slowly dropped their heads towards the ground. It was like the breathe was taken out of EACH of them in that moment. The wife, who weighs what my article weight was, broke her silent gaze by saying with a cracking voice, "Yep, I understand, I completely understand." Then the husband, weighing mid-300's, politely interrupted his wife with watery eyes by saying, "We just lost our daughter in November. She had a blood clot in her leg that moved up to her heart. She was 33." The wife finished by softly saying, "She was a bit...well, chunkier and she experienced every single one of those symptoms you just listed *pause* ...and I do too!"

It was like a million bricks fell into my lap all at once and I got chills as I replied with, "Oh no! I'm so sorry to hear about your loss." The wife smiled back at me and said, "Oh no, you're fine! I just got chills. It just really hit home and well...wow...it's so true. I know we really ought to do something..."

This conversation quickly went from light-hearted to sobering in a moment. I felt so emotionally connected to this couple from that point on and saw how my story, although sparking a painful memory, caused the wheels to REALLY start turning. When the left, they both had made mention about how they can't keep putting this off, they've got to start making changes for their health. From that point on I personally held back tears thinking about their loss, but deeper down inside of me I found myself PRAISING and THANKING God for empowering me to do this and do this NOW. Their precious daughter, 33 years YOUNG...that could have easily been my story. At the weight I am now 220 lbs, that STILL could be my story, but at least I know I'm actively taking strides to CHANGE that.

I remember a few years ago a good friend church had called me with a burden. She had been praying while jogging on her treadmill and said God had placed me heavily upon her heart. She said she felt like God was showing her that there was something wrong with my heart and I NEEDED to do something for my health. For about 1 month we worked together on it but it quickly became a faint memory of the past. When I started this journey February of last year, I remember that playing over and over in my head, "There's something wrong with your heart."

I have never discredited that burden and I've settled it in my heart that it's fitting to thank HIM for what was likely a warning. I don't know any differently, but I have to believe that by the state of my health that I was surely not in a good place. I feel like that warning from God was not JUST speaking of the physical state of my HEART though, He was shining light on the depths of my heart as well. There has been something WRONG with my heart - the difference is that latter each one of us has. TEMPTATION, ULTERIOR MOTIVES, BITTERNESS, UN-FORGIVENESS, LOW SELF-ESTEEM...SIN.

THE GOOD NEWS: Just like OBESITY, YOU can make a decision to overcome them and not let them rob Y-O-U of living with fullness of LIFE!

Today I'm PRAISING & THANKING my Heavenly Father for blessing me with life. I'm humbled by His provision and how He speaks to us through others for not only our well-being, but for His namesake. For walking WITH me through 122 pounds of weight loss. For daily showing me His GRACE & MERCY and offering me FORGIVENESS through His son, JESUS CHRIST!

Verse of the Day:

Jeremiah 17:9-10

"The HEART is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly perverse and corrupt and severely, mortally sick! Who can know it [perceive, understand, be acquainted with his own heart and mind]? I the LORD search the mind, I try the HEART, even to give to every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings."