Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: Hangry (01/23/25)
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TITLE: Food Court Freedom | Previous Challenge Entry
By Kayla James
01/30/25 -
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This is so fattening, the angry voice in Lori’s head reminded her. Just that one little sip of chocolate frosty is going to go straight to my hips.
“Mmm,” Sahara moaned with joy as she chewed. “This is so good. I’m so glad we came here.”
Sahara’s voice snapped Lori out of her reverie. Lori did as her counselor suggested and pictured Jesus’ arms spread out wide on the cross and remembered why she finally agreed to go out with Sahara after almost a year and a half of avoiding her.
She was no longer that anorexic Lori who screamed at Sahara for bringing over saltines and chicken soup when she caught a cold last winter. She was no longer reveling in the fact that her stomach was roaring for food and she was woman enough to ignore it unlike so many of her family and friends around her. Jesus went to the cross to set her free from the bonds of the eating disorder that sent her through so much hell.
“Yeah, me too,” Lori said somewhat hesitantly.
“You’ve got to try this,” Sahara encouraged, pushing the cardboard tray of food closer to Lori.
Lori reached for a fry and dipped it in the cheese. To her shock, her mouth watered in anticipation. She hadn’t had the thick jalepeno-ladened cheese from Chauncey’s Burger Palace in … how long?… the night she broke up with Chris the night of the school’s Halloween party. He was worried about her then too; everyone was, but back then Lori turned in on herself and just didn’t care. Then when it was too late and she realized what she was doing, she didn’t know how she would find a way out.
Her teeth clamped down on the fry and Lori’s insides began to panic.
Spit it out! Now! We need to go home and drink two bottles of water before heading to the school track to run all of this off.
No, daughter, the Holy Spirit answered softly in her head. Your stomach is growling and I designed you to eat. I made all foods clean, so eat slowly and enjoy.
Lori chewed. The fried potato and cheese slid down her throat and she took a second, more defiant bite. She caught Sahara’s hazel eyes glancing quickly toward her and then away again.
Lori thought she saw her friend’s lip quiver, but continued to eat another fry and then took another slightly larger sip of the frosty, letting the chocolate creamy liquid settle in each of her tastebuds before it travel downward to meet with the fries.
The angry voice shrieked like a banshee, scolding Lori for being so stupid! Lori quickly visualized Jesus and brought part of a verse to mind.
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee.
So with each bite, she silently praised God for providing the food. She talked with Sahara and actually laughed once or twice. There would be a lot to email her counselor, Cami, about when she got home.
Sahara bought a mini chocolate cake for her mom and Lori smiled, hoping Mrs. Carver enjoyed every single bite. What a change Jesus’ love wrought in her. She no longer inwardly scolded Sahara for her food choices and then secretly envied the fact that she couldn’t do the same.
They emerged from the mall entrance out into the afternoon sun and Lori felt as light as the pink clouds scurrying across the sky. With each meal and each day moving forward, she would come out on the other side of this and be okay.
This is a fiction piece, but I am personally walking through a slightly similar situation to Lori.
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