FOOD FOR THOUGHT- OA/AUGUST 2014

[MajestyJo]

Saturday, August 23, 2014

You are reading from the book Food for Thought

Envy

When my inside looked at your outside, I overate. Envy of what others seemed to be and of the possessions they had was a prime trigger for overeating, turning to food to compensate for an apparent lack. No amount of food can satisfy envy.

Why is it that the other person seems so much more fortunate, or talented, or happier than we? We are painfully aware of our own inadequacies and quick to envy whoever appears to "have it together." Looking at the outside image or mask is deceptive, however, and prevents us from seeing that underneath is a fellow human being beset with problems and difficulties just as we are.

Who we are, where we are, and what we have is God's gift to us. What we do with ourselves is our gift to God. The more we seek to do His will, the less we envy our neighbor's abilities and possessions. The peace of mind we receive through this program fills us with such gratitude that there is increasingly less room for envy.

Take away my envy, I pray.

What a soul eating defect of character defect. So much of my life was looking at what others had, and as they say, "The grass is greener on the other side of the fence.

Had a lot of healing in this area. For one, it was okay to be me. Secondly, when I quit smoking, drinking, and partying I had money to spend on healthy things. When I started buying foods that were good for me and cooking them in a healthy way, cut back on my portions, and learned to exercise by pushing myself away from the table.

My doing the right do thing for me, I lost weight, about 30 lbs worth.

It seemed like I always wanted what I didn't have. I would get a thought about a certain dress or an article of clothing or house wares. Before you know it, I had bought it, only to learn it wasn't worth all the obsession and compulsive spending and always wanting that 'more' when in fact, I should have taken my feelings to my Lord.