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Julia’s life was a good one; most everything in her life went well. But, there was one area where improvement was needed and that was her weight. Her work as a psychologist at the Mount Carmel Mental Institution was satisfying but often stressful; however, she loved the fact that she was helping many with their problems.
Some of her patients were overweight; often seeking her professional help but she was beginning to feel ineffective because of her own weight problem. She was a good-looking woman and at forty-eight, striking in her looks and demeanor. The weight issue was just a small part of who she was but she had to admit that being over weight, was affecting her health and possibly her professional standing; even though no one ever made an issue of it.
So, after thinking and praying about the matter, she decided to do something she hadn’t done in a very long time. On a Saturday morning, she opened her desk drawer and reached for her old King James Bible. Before reading from it, she paused to pray, “Lord, I need help and I come to you for guidance. As you know, I’m over weight and it’s affecting my health and work. Forgive me for not coming to you first, as I should have. But, Lord, please help me with this. I need to lose some weight not only for my health but so that I can help others with the same problem. Lead me Lord in scripture, so that I can overcome this one area in my life that is holding back…”
After praying, she went to the Old Testament where she found some insightful words. She found the help she was looking for from Philippines 4:6: “But in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Then she read Jeremiah 30:17 “For I will restore health unto thee..”
And then she read from Matthew 6: 33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” After reading those words, calmness and a beautiful peace came over her like never before and she knew she had found an answer.
Once finished reading, she prayed, “Thank you, Lord Jesus, for revealing to me the exact words I needed to read. Those words have always been there and I didn’t even know it. Help me to put those words into action, change my ways and then lead others to those words of encouragement and help.”
She placed the book back on her desk and then went about her daily work. As she worked and ran her errands, the words became like a seed; growing inside of her. It wasn’t long before she began acting on those words—for the seed began maturing.
It didn’t happen overnight but several weeks later, she found herself feeling more alive and healthier. Months later, she and those around her began seeing a difference.
Not only did she look thinner, but she had a glow about her that couldn’t be ignored. Her friends, family and her patients could see that she had changed. She seemed more focused with her job and her patients who suffered from being overweight, were getting real help from her, not just empty words. She was sharing with them what she did to lose weight and some were applying those ideas to their lives.
It wasn’t long before her changing health habits became part of her daily routine and she became focused on the “whole” of life, rather than just a small “slice” of life.
But the most important thing of all was that she found a closer relationship with Christ, which spilled over to those around her. Kind of like ripples of water, when a stone skips over its beautiful coolness.
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