Willpower?

This morning I had my highest fasting number to date. I feel so silly to admit this, but it nearly brought me to tears.  I am battling so many feelings of failure this morning and it's showing in my attitude, efforts, and stamina.  I really just want to give up. Not for good. But, for today I want to just walk away from all the balls that I'm juggling and let them fall.  So, what did I do?  I pouted. I read a bit. I prayed, half-heartedly. I ignored my exercise. I sat and felt sorry for myself and then got up and vacuumed a couple rooms in the house. At least I can feel depressed with clean floors. ;)

So, as I sit working on minor things to just keep my day plugging along, I received this comment from a dear friend on my post last night: 

Tracy I want you to know that I have been having a hard week this week and whenever I wanted to give up I thought of you and your will power! You are wonderful!

So, yeah. Now the tears are freely flowing.

Ladies, if I had any willpower, I would surely NOT be in the place I am now.  I have never seen myself as someone who is strong or terribly self-disciplined.  I do know that I have some strong insecurities regarding perfectionism and failure.  I struggle daily with fears that I will somehow let someone down in some way. I suppose this could easily be seen as *willpower* or stamina.  Honestly, it's sinful pride and fear that most often drives me when I am left to my own devices.

This is why this journey has always been about my walk with the Lord.  From the beginning, even when not pregnant, I could force myself to do everything "right".  I could follow a plan well and work to impress the class.  However, my efforts were in vain because they never brought about the results I longed for. 

This is what it looks like when I use my own strength:

When I would eat the perfect amount of  calories combined with the right amount of activity, I would still lose at half the rate I "should" have been losing. Fail.

When I would adjust my percentages of protein versus carbs, raw foods versus cooked, whole foods versus junk, I would still see the same results. Fail.

When I would press harder to exercise. Push aside other priorities believing that my health and weight loss was far more important because I only had so much time to accomplish it, I still saw the same results.  Except I added losing ground in other important areas, adding to my struggle. Fail and Fail.

And now, when I had been working to hold off on a pregnancy, knowing that losing weight was crucial to avoiding the GD and a healthy pregnancy, I still saw the blessing of those two pink lines. Well, there was nothing I could do but trust the Lord had a plan even though I felt I had let Him down. Again.

I walked into this pregnancy armed with education and experience from my last GD experience. I was determined I would "beat it" and "win" this time.  Yet, here I sit, barely half way through...not even to the third trimester when a pregnant body *starts* to struggle with blood sugars and I'm already sunk. My friends, my research, and my brain tell me that it's foolish to believe this lie. But, my heart still does. Fail.

This is when the Lord steps in.  This when He shows me just how far from the truth I really am. This challenge to right the wrongs I've done in my life regarding my body are not about losing weight, winning a battle against diabetes, or avoiding a dreaded medicated hospital birth.  Truly, those are good aims. Who would fault me for working so hard to get healthy so that I can keep a baby safe during pregnancy?  Yet, this isn't about me.  This is about me giving glory to my Lord.

The truth is that whatsoever I do, whether I eat or drink, whether I fast or cleanse, whether I exercise or rest, it is ALL to be done to the glory of God.  Not to my hope for results. Not to my joy at a number on a scale.  Not to the satisfaction of a smaller size.  Every striving, every effort, every choice is to be for HIM and the glory HE will receive, not to myself. 

This changes my perspective on this journey.  It becomes not the THING *I* do, but a PART of the THING that *God* is doing in me.  It is as important as the work He does to create patience in me as I work with my children in their daily tasks. It is as important as the work He is doing to empty me of myself as I strive to love and respect my husband as unto the Lord. It is as important as the work He is doing to press me beyond my comfort levels and into areas of forgiveness with extended family.  It is all connected because it is all about how He is at work to change me into His image.

And this is why the results should not matter because the results are not my work to be done.  My Lord has called me to be faithful in my efforts and to trust Him with the results.  He has commanded me to trust and obey as He does His work.  He has set forth in His word clear directions on how I should live my life in all ways and this is where my focus needs be.  I am to strive, to pour out my life, to give all my energy to obey the commands He has placed on my life, allowing Him to choose the results that will honor Him most.  And this means the results in my parenting, marriage, home, ministry, as well as my physical health.

So, how am I applying this principle?   Not very well today.  Today my eyes have gotten off course and focused again on the results that I cannot control.  I have once again attempted to take back control and responsibility for that which I have no business handling.  I've already proven time and again that when I am in control, the results will not be pleasing to myself or to Him.  What I need to do is to return to the truth that this is all about Him and the work He is about. Not only in my life, my baby's life, but surely His plan spreads far beyond my mind's eye.  To know that He desires to use my efforts, my struggles, even my failings to bring Him glory and reveal Himself strong gives me hope. It gives me purpose. It causes me to remember my place in this work.  To remain faithful, to keep His words always before me, to trust His judgement, and to every moment ask for His strength to do the right thing. 

I will answer one day not for the number on the scale or the number on the meter. I will answer for my obedience to make right choices. I will answer for my diligence to learn and equip myself with the best knowledge I can find to make those right choices. I will answer for my idleness versus my activity.  I will answer for my efforts to stay on course, regardless of the outcome. 

I think of my last labor.  I was given a short amount of time to birth my baby before they would put me on meds.  I was angry and felt cheated to be forced in this manner. Yet, I took that to motivate me to give everything I had to do what I believed was best for the birth of our baby. I spent an entire day pushing myself to accomplish this goal only to be faced with the fact that my body wouldn't comply.  When I finally agreed to the meds it was with a heart of peace.  I knew that even if I was being forced into what wasn't *best* for our little one or myself, I had done everything in my power to do what was best.  It was now time to allow the Lord to work out His best and accept the results as He had planned. I will never regret my efforts in that time. I had the satisfaction of knowing I had done everything I could to remain faithful and strong to the end. I had finished well and that allowed me to rest fully in the next step of His plan.

I need to keep that memory in my heart in the coming months. Giving up is not an option.  Yet, I don't see my ability to press on as *willpower*.  It is simply the work of the Holy Spirit in me keeping me from whatever false sense of strength I think I can or can't muster up.  It is amazing to see that the Lord would choose such a vessel as me to accomplish His work.  That leaves me humbled and ever more eager to continue on. To think that anyone else would see anything in me that would cause them to have courage, well, that can only be the work of the Lord. And for that, I am blessed to be used as a part of His plan.

Writing this out was what I needed today.  Thank you, Lord for your truth and the ability to discern it from the constant barrage of easily believed lies that surround me. Please, let me remember that my choices, my work, my strivings bring you glory even if the results don't seem to match.