30 Days of Deeper (Day 6)

A few years ago, the Lord led me on a journey to restore hormones levels in my body and bring my weight into a healthier/normal range. Being a fervent runner AND learning my “healthy food” patterns in the 90s did NOT serve my body well over the decades.

Come on children of the 90s!….. Raise you hand if you thought “fat was your foe” and eating 1200 calories a day was cool. Yep. Me too. And old habits DIE HARD.

Those patterns came back to bite me in my late 30s which led to MANY health problems. THANKFULLY the Lord has now redeemed those years of undereating/overexercising with health HOWEVER the process to restore those hormones involved gaining WEIGHT and EATING lots of food.

And although having a doctor write you a prescription to “eat all the food” sounds kind of amazing… it really wasn’t.

That year of intentionally gaining 20 pounds, boxing up most ALL my clothes AND my beloved running shoes just SUCKED. All my little exercise idols crumbled away and I had to opportunity to face the reality that I had built those idols myself. God isn’t playing around in Exodus when He says, “You must not bow down to idols or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods.” He just loves us too much.

In all my packing away clothes, I left one pair of shorts out because they were alway a little too big. They were a blue, denim-like chambray from Jcrew Factory and I was JUST CERTAIN that they were the only chance of having a pair of shorts to fit come summer.

So the day came to try out my philosophy on this one pair of “too-big-for-me” shorts. I slid on those chambray cottons to realize my theory was faulty. There was NO WAY those suckers were going past my hips. Not a chance.

Women – you all know this feeling. The WORST.

So I called one of my besties, Casey, bawling my eyes out about how HARD THIS JOURNEY IS and HOW I DON’T RECOGNIZE MYSELF and HOW I MISS EXERCISE and and and….

She stopped me mid-whine and said, with complete confidence, “Becks (her name for me), those shorts fit your old self. You are being made new. Those shorts are “ill-fitting” and God won’t lay anything ill-fitting on us. You are recovering your life. Go buy you some new shorts for the new, healthy you.”

Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matthew 11:28-30 The Message

(read this a couple of times… its the best)

When we seek to “recover our lives” there are things that MUST CHANGE. Habits that MUST GO.

And in this case, shorts that won’t fit.

Jesus extends an unceasing invitation to us here. “Come to me. Get away with me.”

Then a promise. “You will recover your life.”

Wow.

What comes to mind IMMEDIATELY when you read this? What pair of chambrays are you trying to squeeze into that are “ill-fitting”?

Maybe it is a bad habit?

Maybe it is an unhealthy relationship?

Maybe it is an idol in your heart?

All I know that God isn’t trying to be mean or steal all our fun, HE JUST WANTS US TO LIVE LIGHTLY AND FREELY.

HE WANTS YOU WHOLE.

The Lord changed my life in those years of recovery. And come to find out, my healing had little to do with my hormones and everything to do with my heart.

What is the Lord stirring in you today? What is He inviting you to lay down so you can “recover your life?”

Reflections:

Jesus is inviting us to take a “real rest” in this passage. What in your life feels “unrestful”? This might be an indicator light for you to find areas He may want to recover.
What feels heavy? What is ill-fitting right now? What might He be saying to your heart today about these things?