There was only one other person whom I knew had overcome something that seemed bigger than God and that was my mother. I was going to have to give up sugar, the thing I craved constantly, the thing that kept me bound in a tomb of death, the thing that loomed like a monumental giant in my life, bigger than my concept of God.
However, because of my mother’s phone call all those years ago, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, God had the power to help me overcome my monumental problem.
All of my life I spent trying not to be like my mother and yet, right then I wanted nothing more than to be just like the woman I knew had overcome ONLY by the power of God. I began walking out my journey holding tight to Jesus. In the process I gave Him 260 of my unwanted pounds.
Delight Yourself In the Right Thing
One of my mother’s favorite verses summarizes how she turned her life around. “Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.”1 She had to stop focusing on herself and focus on God. That was what the preacher was telling her back on the day she called me.
And that, my friends, is the answer I am beginning to understand more and more each day. When I focus on Him, my problems diminish and I can’t help but surrender everything I think I can’t live without to the One I never want to be without. He has become my delight and the real desire of my heart. I want nothing to stand in my way of following after Him.
I am forever and always indebted to my mother who walked out her journey in front of me. She was a living demonstration to me that the power of God can and does transform us! I am overwhelmed by a God who cares so much about me that He would walk with me through the hell of my life into the freedom2 that only He can bring.3
He can change4 us when we let Him!
Oh and Happy Mother’s Day, Mom. I’m sure you’re having a great time dancing the jitterbug with Jesus.
1 Psalm 37:4 NKJV
2 John 8:32 NIV
3 John 14:6 NIV
4 2 Cor. 5:17 NLT
Teresa Shields Parker is an author, blogger, editor, business owner, wife and mother. Her book, Sweet Grace: How I Lost 250 Pounds and Stopped Trying to Earn God’s Favor is available on Amazon in print, Kindle and Audible HERE. This story is from her blog, teresashieldsparker.com.
