Meet My Friend Who’s Grateful to Gain Weight Easily!

Posted on by Tammy

Greetings Bloggy Friends!
Did I get your attention with the title of today’s post?  Well, imagine what I thought when my friend sent this post to me to share with all of you and I first read this title,  too!  Trust me, you will definitely want to read more.  
First, let me introduce you to another one of my She Speaks friends,  Brittany Williamson.  I’m having a blast getting to know Brittany through our She Speaks Online Peer Critique Group that I current lead.  I also love reading her blog over here that she writes with two of her friends, Holly and Hannah. They call themselves “twenty-somethings”.  Now I’m sure you’re wondering why this old lady would read a blog written by girls half my age!  Easy.  These girls have a lot of great things to say as well as wisdom in their young age.  But don’t take my word for it, read Brittany’s post below – then pop on over to their website, www.faithinbetween.com and check out more of Brittany’s writing!  
Enjoy, my friends!

I am grateful that I gain weight easily.

Yes. You read that correctly. Not depressed, not jealous, not sad…grateful.

But before you think I need my temperature checked or my head examined or a doctor appointment scheduled, hear me out.

I have cried over, struggled with, complained about, and hated my body for as long as I can remember. Though I knew I was made by God in His image, I still declared myself fat, disgusting, gross, ugly, and unlovable for many years. Scriptures like Psalm 134:19 didn’t give me peace; they made me cringe. How could I possibly be “wonderfully made” and overweight at the same time?

It seemed to me those girls who could eat whatever they wanted and still fit into their size two jeans were perhaps a little more “wonderfully” made than I was. I gained weight just by looking at the hamburgers and fries they could scarf down without a budge in the scale. A  few words came to mind when I thought about my body, but “wonderful” was never one of them, I can assure you.
Until last December.
Absorbing the spiritual truths discussed in Lysa Terkeurst’s book Made to Crave radically changed my perspective on my weight and every other struggle in my life. For the very first time, I began to understand what it means to be perfectly created by God, and I know now it has absolutely nothing to do with what I see in the mirror but everything to do with what He sees in my heart.
Let’s be honest, God could’ve easily given me a different body type. He is the creator of the world, after all. But I would not be perfect if He had.  I am “wonderfully made” only because I am perfectly designed to need Him. We all are, in one way or another. And when we need Him, we depend on Him, and by depending on Him, we grow closer to Him.
God knew that food would be my drug of choice, my go-to when I was sad, and my method of celebration, and He on purpose designed my body to make me aware of my habits and decisions. He wanted me to recognize every time I turned to food instead of Him, and He provided an opportunity for me to get to know Him in a totally different way than I ever would have without this struggle. Through relying on Him for strength, discipline, and guidance while I work on getting healthy, I gain a better understanding of who He is while leaving behind bad habits and unhealthy pounds. It may be a difficult process full of temptation, disappointments, and setbacks, but I finally realized that this is a journey God always intended for me to take with Him.
It is the reason I gain weight so easily, and it is the reason I am now grateful that I do.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 tells us to “rejoice always, pray continually, [and] give thanks in all circumstances” because it is God’s will. By looking at every weakness or issue as an opportunity given to us by our Father to grow closer to Him, we have the ability to experience true freedom and continual happiness. We are not designed to be slaves to anything– money, greed, bad attitudes, our pasts, or any sin. We are only designed to need God, and once we recognize that need, we are more powerful than any emotion, event, or addiction in our lives. Maybe weight isn’t your issue, but what is? Do you have a short temper? Do you love to gossip? Are you in the habit of hiding truth or lying? Do you think that’s “just the way you are?” Whatever it is, be grateful for it. Look at your struggle as something you can work on with God, and then pray, pray, and pray some more for His strength and patience while you soak up His love and mercy in a more beautiful way than you ever imagined.
The opportunity for growth is endless once we stop excusing, ignoring, and dwelling on our faults and begin to embrace the strength offered to us through Christ. The fact that we all need to change doesn’t mean we aren’t perfectly made. It means we are.

Well, didn’t I tell you this young lady has great wisdom to share?  Looks like I’d better re-read this post myself and learn from it!
…and that’s all I have to say about that!
Tammy

5 thoughts on “Meet My Friend Who’s Grateful to Gain Weight Easily!”

  2. Great post over here, Brittany!
    I so get this: “I still declared myself fat, disgusting, gross, ugly, and unlovable for many years.”
    What a beautiful lesson for all of us, weight or not: “He wanted me to recognize every time I turned to food instead of Him, and He provided an opportunity for me to get to know Him in a totally different way than I ever would have without this struggle.”
    And a powerful finish! Thanks for sharing these thoughts!

    And thanks for hosting her, Tammy. Nice to meet you! I’m a She Speaks graduate, as well.

  4. Brittany: Thank YOU for being willing to be my guest!

    Caroline: Glad you stopped in to catch Brittany’s post! Yay! You’re a She Speaks Grad, too! I keep thinking it should happen every six months instead of having to wait a whole year!

    Lisa: Glad you stopped in and glad you enjoyed Brittany’s post!

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