Do I Ever Have a Cheat Day?
I don't ever make a PLAN to cheat or splurge or fail or fall. I'd even go so far to say, I don't advise that you do either. HOWEVER, this is your journey and we all have to make the choices that work the best for us. It's wise to always ask yourself, "Does this decision support or oppose my primary choice--to get healthy and transform my life?"
As I told a dear friend this week when he asked if I ever just eat potatoes and cookies, "I can't do it. I'm too fragile." Know yourself. For me, having "just one" is like asking a recovering alcoholic if he ever has an occasional drink. There's nothing wrong with a drink...for many people. But for some, it's a hazard.
I struggle too. I don't always respond the best way...
But what do we do when we fall down? We get back up. A runner cannot win a race looking behind him. He also cannot win it laying on the ground.
Here's something to think about (especially as we anticipate the Winter Olympics starting soon!):
THE SECRET TO WINNING IS FINISHING THE RACE
Elizabeth George wrote "Loving God with All Your Mind" and writes about the importance of running the race in a forward motion.
She was recounting the Winter Olympics many years ago where figure skater after figure skater fell during their routine. These were the BEST skaters in the WORLD and every single skater fell--some three times or more. But every single one of them got up and continued their routine to the end. They didn't stay down. They were there to perform and to finish their routine--a routine they had spent years training to skate. That year, EVERY skater that was awarded a medal had fallen. But they were standing on an Olympic platform with a medal around their neck. Why did they get such an honor? Because they got back up and finished their routine.
I can't win a medal if I fall and stay down.
I can't cross the finish line and reach my goal if I quit.
Will I fall? Oh yes. But as the chief research scientist for General Motors said, "The enthusiast fails forward."
Amy Carmichael was a pioneer missionary to India. One day she prayed, "Father, I'm not soaring today. Help me!" In her writings, Miss Carmichael pens her Heavnly Father's response, "Daughter, soaring is not always flying high above the world. Sometimes one is soaring only two feet above the ground, just enough to keep you from getting tangled in the thorns and crashing against the rocks."
Some days, feel like I am only soaring above the rocks. I've felt a little tired, haven't wanted to run, worn down...only able to even limp or stagger along. Yet, on such days, I need to keep facing forward!
