I was a not a heavy person as a child or a teenager, but my perception of myself was very different. I really started to struggle with my weight after my first child was born. Of course I was in the belief that it was baby weight. I then found out it was because I found out I had a tyroid problem. That is why I kept gaining and could not get the weight off. I started going to a new church and to their bible study. It was in a study called Decerning the Voice of God that woke me up to what had to be done. I had tried every weight loss program and had little success. But in this Bible study I heard him. I always thought the voice of the Lord would be a burning bush, the heavens would open and angels would sing, I never thought it would be a feeling, a pull, my thoughts. It was just a small voice telling me to talk. Really just talk. I thought about this for a while wondering what that was supposed to mean. Then my computer got a virus and would not stop popping up ads for diet books. I want to church and prayed about this because I knew what God was asking me to do, but I was afraid I would let him down. That week in the mail, I recieved a book. A fFirst Place 4 Health book–Giving Christ Control. All this time, I am still hearing Him speak. That Sunday, the preacher was talking about sharing your gifts from God with others. How you should not hide them. He talked about how if you get a present and you are so excited to open it only to find it is a Christian diet book inside, you lose excitment. Wow. I had my diet book I got in the mail in a bag under my chair that very minute. That Tuesday, I talked to my Bible study leader. I told her I had been feeling a pull to talk and was not sure what that meant. I also showed her the Bible study book I received. She was quiet for a moment then sweetly told me she had been putting on some holiday weight and if it would help, she would try this diet with me. Shocked because this person was so small and slender sitting next to me, I had to laugh. She maybe ate a couple of extra pieces of fudge and I looked like I ate 2 christmas trees, Santa and the little town of Bethlehem. I thanked her, but said I did not think that is what God wanted. I believe God wanted me to learn from her because she was such a good Bible study leader, so I could run my own Bible study with Giving Christ Control. I did it with my mother , my sister and my niece. I started at 286 lbs and I have lost 136 Lbs. I really had to trust God and yes give him control. Trusting he would carry literally was hard. I had no idea how he would carry me. But I climbed on (yes this where I visualize him giving me a piggy back ride) and he really brought me through. I learned to trust, to believe he would not want to me do this knowing I would fail. I had more strength than I thought. It has been a long hard journey, but one I have loved every step of the way. I am still learning and his love and teaching amazes me everyday.
