Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Junk Food (08/30/12)
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TITLE: God's Temple Defiled | Previous Challenge Entry
By Terry Atchison
09/03/12 -
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“I need to stop this! I can’t go on like this. Look at me.” I was standing in front of a full length mirror. The person looking back at me was no longer the one-mile-a-day swimmer, nor the ten- kilometer-a-day runner, nor the four-hours-of-tennis player. Before me was a two hundred and sixty-four pound lazy, whining slob.
Two years ago, I was rejected by someone that I loved dearly. That rejection sent me on a trip down “comfort food lane”. It was a long, satisfying journey, filled with sensations of comfort and pleasure that I had never experienced before. Nothing was out of bounds and I lived for offering myself sugar, oil, and grease, in wonderful quantities, without any regard for my health. My food had become my drug. Once I had stuffed myself, I felt an “afterglow” throughout my body. What a comforting feeling that was!
My weight increased from one hundred eighty-five pounds, to a whopping two hundred sixty-four pounds within a time frame of two years. Dr. Izzy, a wonderful woman, told me that I would die if I kept nourishing myself in this manner. Lab tests showed that I was borderline diabetic. That finally scared me into changing my ways.
What does this have to do with a church? Well my body is God’s temple. He is in me. I defiled His temple by not taking care of it. How can I go out and witness to others if this vessel that holds His spirit is not glowing with health and love. I should try to be a shining and healthy example to others for His sake.
I used to laugh at overweight people but today, I take them very seriously. It is amazing how much comfort one can derive from junk food. In a couple of months I will be back down to my original weight. It has been a long battle filled with tears, hard work, failures, wins, and tests of faith. The good news is that God has been with me every step of the way. I will be running another marathon again soon. And, an important point, I smile when I look into the mirror now. AND…I am now with the love of my life, the person who rejected me.
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We should all look at ourselves in such a way. Our bodies are temples and should be treated that way.
I don't know if this is a true story or not, but it is very inspiring!
God Bless~