Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Inner Strength (04/20/06)
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TITLE: Belinda's Healing | Previous Challenge Entry
By Vicki Chappelear
04/26/06 -
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The beginning of her sophomore year of high school, Belinda tried out for cheerleading. She was very outgoing and perky, so she thought cheerleading would be a great sport for her. She practiced the entire summer and was ready for the try-outs. When they posted the names of the new squad, her name was not among them.
She went home devastated. As she thought about the girls who did make the squad, she realized they were much smaller than her, thinner. As she looked at her, 5’5” and 125 lbs., self in the mirror, she began to see herself as fat. Her thoughts quickly turned to what was making her fat. She made a plan. She would limit her daily foods to three very small servings (exactly 1/2 cup) of lettuce - no dressing, no carrots, no tomatoes - just lettuce. She also decided that she would exercise to get rid of the extra calories and fat that she already had. She began to exercise, and as time went on she would exercise 6, 7, even 8 hours a day. This new lifestyle was totally consuming her life.
After several months of this, she really began to see her body change. She was loosing weight, but it was never enough. Even when concerned friends and family would mention that she was too thin, what she heard was that she still didn’t look good. As time went on, her once beautiful long blonde hair, now broke off easily and didn’t have the same shine it once did. Her pale skin draped loosely over her protruding bones. All of her clothes had safety pins in them in an attempt to keep them on her ever-dwindling body.
This all continued for five years, until she met Rose. A mutual friend introduced them and they became fast friends. Rose understood what she was going through, as she too had once struggled with an eating disorder. She shared with Belinda God’s love and that this was not what He wanted for her. Belinda had had a personal relationship with Jesus for quite some time now and deep down knew that she was going against God’s plan for her. She just didn’t know how to stop.
Rose took her straight to the Bible to show her what God’s word said. These are some of the verses she shared: I Samuel 16:7 says that God doesn’t look at the outside, He sees the inside. I Peter 3:3-4 tells us to be known for a gentle and quiet spirit, not to worry about outward beauty. Rose told her that she needed to keep her thoughts in check showing her, Philippians 4:8 which is very clear about the need to have pure thoughts, and to take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ in II Corinthians 10:1-6. She encouraged her with Galatians 2:20, Christ lives in me, God’s power works in our weaknesses, II Corinthians 12:7-10, and God will show you a way out, I Corinthians 10:12-13. Finally, she took her to Psalm 139 and showed her that God made her exactly the way He, in His infinite wisdom, wanted her to be, and that He had a wonderful plan for her life.
She took a deep breath, picked up her fork and began to eat her dinner. When thoughts of the food making her fat flashed through her mind, she fought them off knowing that she can do all things through Christ. God would give her the strength to walk down the road to healing.
That was ten years ago, Belinda now lives life to the fullest. She enjoys every minute of it, realizing that she would not be here except for a dear friend who took the time to love her and show her that God had something better for her. She is married now and has two beautiful boys and is expecting a baby girl in June. She thanks God for giving her the strength she needs everyday to stay on His path.
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