graphic: tracimichele.com

As I have thought about 2015 and a word for the new year, the word that keeps coming to mind is healthy. I realize it isn’t very lofty or ethereal. In fact, it is rather down-to-earth.

It’s one of those things we tend to take for granted. But as I have watched my weight burgeon, my eating become more unhealthy and my lack of exercise continue, I realize only one word has to be in the forefront of my mind. Healthy! Of course, food and overweight really isn’t the problem, it is only a symptom of a deeper issue.

Looking at unhealthy, often sinful areas of my life

As I look further at my life, I see other areas that can kindly be called unhealthy as well. Those dark corners of my mind where the remains of unforgiveness reside. It is called by many names. Resentments, seething  bitternesses that seem to have been forgotten until a word or action brings them back to mind.  Memories of hurts and slights that don’t go away easily. They hide away in those dark corners of our hearts and minds waiting for just the right…or wrong, moment or action to be triggered.

Suddenly, there is a flash of anger that is out of proportion to the actual offense…or for you it may be an outburst of tears, passive-aggressive behavior,  or blame-shifting when all I can see is the offense of the other person and none of my own contribution to the problem in the relationship. The martyr complex that feeds my desire to be appreciated by some…but causes resentment from others. These are just a few of the ways our unhealthy ways play out in relationships.

Or what about the desire to be right…forever and always. Do I care what harm it does to the relationships with my family or friends? Not really. I just want to be right…and have them acknowledge it. Come what may. Do I have to embarass them in public? That’s okay. I’m the one who has to look good.

Then there is that desire to have the last word! To have the final punch line. The final clever word on everything. Does it mean sarcastically putting down someone else in the process? That’s okay. Or I may be more subtle. I just may find a way to not allow him to shine. To keep her busy in an area where she can’t shine. Either way, I get my time in the limelight and avoid sharing it so I feel good.

And if you think I’m talking about you, I’m not really. I’ve been around many such situations over the years. The situations are fictitious per se, but based on truth from life experience. Much of the life experience is my own! It is from my own life. I am unhealthy, sinfully unhealthy. However, if the shoe fits…

Over the years, you see these kinds of unhealthy, sinful behaviors play out in your family, your church, at work and sadly, in yourself! It is not the person you set out to be. Some days, you cringe when you look at the person you have become. Clearly, this is not the person GOD is making you into. But you crowd out His quiet voice with anything that will tell you what you want to hear. ANYTHING! Or you just keep busy, busy, busy! Then you don’t have time to think.

What happened? How did you become the very person you planned you would never become?

First, I want the motive of “healthy” in 2015 to be understood. It is not a resolution. It is not with the idea that I am going to fix myself up so I won’t feel so guilty around GOD. If anything, I have come more strongly to realize I can’t fix myself up. My will power is weaker than ever. The last few years of moving, packing and unpacking, sorting and tossing, has taken its toll.

I feel weak and tired on many levels. I realize that if ever I was strong, the time is NOT now. I’m beat. That’s why so many aspects of my life are in a mess. In reordering my life, I need to start with getting healthy. Instead of fixing up the things that make pretty window dressing, I need to change to new habits that promote health…physical health, spiritual health, emotional health, relational health.

Since I’m cleaning out and reorganizing in my apartment, this will not be a smooth journey. But over the year I hope to make progress in these areas as GOD guides. I will share the journey with you in a way that I hope will encourage you in your part of the journey.

Our Christmas gift from our children this year is some hours with an organizer who will help get me moved out of my “stuck” position and help me with a game plan for finishing off this move. It is a great relief! I have hope that someone will help me know how to sort out the last of this mess!

Aspects of your journey are different from mine, but we also have similar struggles

I know your journey isn’t the same as mine, but I’m sure we will have areas where there will be intersections and common areas.  The two Scriptures that come to mind are the following. I hope they will give you hope as you face this New Year…2015.

He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
 Even youths shall faint and be weary,
    and young men shall fall exhausted;

 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
    they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
    they shall walk and not faint.

 Isaiah 40:29-31 (ESV)

But he said to me,

“My grace is sufficient for you

For my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, 

so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 

For the sake of Christ, then, 
I am content with weaknesses,
insults,
hardships,
persecutions, and
calamities.

For when I am weak, then I am strong.

II Corinthians 12:9-10 (ESV)

Learning to wait for the Lord to renew our strength; be content with weaknesses so we can be strong in healthy ways; understand what the sufficiency of His grace looks like? These all play into what I hope to learn more about this year.

Come join me as we learn together!

Where do you need the touch of GOD to bring health to your life?

As we work together this year, think about one area of your life you need health in the Biblical sense of the term. This is an area that you are tired of being stuck in a rut! You are so sick of it, that you are willing to pay a high price (not in $$) to make a change in some aspect of your lifestyle.

A relationship? a lifestyle issue? an issue in your relationship with GOD? an area where unforgiveness is eating you up?

Try not to be too general. Think about where the problem is. Now think about where the root problem might be. You might be there, but as in dieting, there is usually something beneath the obvious problem that needs to be dealt with.

Pray and ask GOD to open your eyes to truth you may not have been willing to look at before. If you have a person you are struggling with in a relationship, start praying for that person. If your problem is a habit you can’t break, pray and ask Him to show you where to start dealing with it….Where the root problem is. Ask GOD to give you wisdom to know how to love them in ways they can receive your love.

That’s it for today until the next healthy day.

PS. I’d like to thank TraciMichele.com who has done these one word graphics free. I don’t know the cut-off date, but she does them in 2 colors of your choice. The link is under the graphic. She loves colors and graphics so look at her blog and get ideas to help you…and hire her for whatever you need!

**Sorry. a gremlin got into my code, especially the quote part. After working on it forever, I had to give up.

FellowshipFriday#52