Challenge From God

Now that I am getting this planning thing down I was telling our bible study group that for the first time in years I have been at peace with my food and eating habits (Lysa Terkeurst talks about how our battle with food can wage war with our soul which I can definitely relate to.)  So yesterday was the first day that I have really experienced any "hunger" that had nothing to do with actually having an empty stomach.  I knew it related to the emotional stress I'm going through with the flood we had recently in the house.  This hunger allowed me to really live out the statement made by the Apostle Paul who said, everything is permissible--but not everything is beneficial, everything is permissible--but not everthing is constructive"  (1 Cor. 10:23 NIV.)  With this verse floating through my mind I choose to not stop and eat something just because I "wanted" to when I wasn't really hungry.

Anyway, as of last night Ian and I have been moved to a hotel and needless to say my predetermined meals and snacks plan for the week just went out the window.  I work very early in the morning and as a result the "free" breakfast the hotel has wasn't available yet, the grocery store (my second option) wasn't open either and neither was Burger King (a cheeseburger for my third option).  By this point it is 5:30 a.m. and I am nearly at work and the only option remaining is McDonald's (I don't like fast food breakfasts) so I swing through the drive-thru and the only thing I am willing to eat are the sausage biscuits.  Do you know how many points they are?  Now I am stressed out because not only am I off plan (which has been so successful and given me an enormous sense of peace) but I am apprehensive about slipping back into old habits and regaining the weight I have already lost.

I am telling my friend about this at work and realized as I was doing so that I feel like God is telling me that this is my opportunity to learn how to work this pre-planning "thing" when life gets out of contol.  It's almost like He's saying, "Can you still make plans and follow through on those plans when life is chaotic?  Can you still make good choices when things are not the way you want them to?"  And suddenly I realized I don't have to have a setback in the midst of all this.

So I have reworked my eating plan for today taking into account the sausage biscuits already eaten.  And, I am planning to go home this evening and see how much of the food in our refrigerator can be moved to the hotel (so we can eat healthy and it won't go bad.)  I have already made a short shopping list of healthy meal options I can pick up at the grocery store; meals which don't require a stove but only a microwave.  So tonight I can sit down and rework my meal plans for the remainder of this week.  Life can go on inspite of my initial planning efforts being scuttled and my fears of a setback.  This too is freeing--and it also means I have accepted the challenge from God.