Gracie and Me

This time last year Gracie was a pitiful, scrawny kitten that had been thrown away, rescued and put up for adoption. She lived in a cage for weeks at PetSmart.


Living with us changed that, her belly is full and her coat shines. She is safe, warm and dry and even has the sweet warm spot on the bed between Glenn and me when we sleep.


She clearly remembers being hungry because she can't bear to see her food bowl empty. She's come to assume if I walk by her bowl, I should fill it. She almost comes out of her skin when I come home from work because that means I'll feed her.


I KNOW she's not hungry, yet she constantly craves food. I often have to divert her attention to something else just to get her mind off of her food bowl.


In a lot of ways I'm like Gracie.  No, I wasn't thrown away or ever lived in a cage. (Though I have been rescued.) I'm safe, warm and content in my life.


Yet I crave food too. I get something in my head and nothing will satisfy me until I have it. I crave dark chocolate, salty chips, sweet cool ice cream, a medium-rare rib eye, greasy onion rings— the list could go on.


I associate certain things with food.  Celebrating a birthday…Where's the cake? It's Friday…where's the pizza? I just got home from work and dinner's not ready…pass the chips and salsa!


It takes a lot of self control to stay out of the cupboard and think about something else besides the ginger snaps.  After all, I have thumbs and I can open by own bag of Twizzlers.


These last few weeks in the FP4H class I've been reminded that I have a whole arsenal of weapons that can help me with my struggle with food.  Weapons this will destroy the stronghold that satan has on me.


Repentance, rest, quietness and trust will help me make permanent healthy changes to my life.  It's a slow process, but everyday I'm getting stronger with God's help.