Saturday, September 6, 2008

A Weighty Topic

"The significance of giving up the obsession with food is not a thinner body, not a smaller pants size, but giving up your protection from pain, for when you protect yourself from pain, you protect yourself from intimacy. When you allow your pain to be visible, you can give it a voice. And when you give it a voice, you can release yourself from it." Geneen Roth, When Food is Love

People use all kinds of things as protection from pain - alcohol, drugs, sex, rage. Food is one of the more socially acceptable forms of protection (except of course when our country has an obesity rate of about 25%).

I have known for a long time that it's not just about a diet...much more is needed. In fact, there is ongoing research about a percentage of people who have weight-loss surgery who lose tremendous amounts of weight, only to go on to become alcoholics...trading one addiction...or obsession...for another. All in a vain effort to hide from the pain.

Even our relationship with God can be effected, because as long as we are trying to protect ourselves from pain, then our ability to be intimate is compromised...even with Him.

I believe that total and complete emotional healing is possible. Nothing is too hard and no pain is so deep for Jehovah Rophe...God is our Healer.

1 comment:

EE said...

Food is the no one legal pain killer for depression, lonliness and all the other things you described. Food has been the subsititue to every failure and issues in our lives that we do not face. How can we truly say that Jesus is the lover of our soul, when we will not put food second do Him.

Loveyour insight. Keep them coming. I have truly given a hard look at my own self at why I have allowed Food to didtate what I do and what I use to react.

Go Girl! See you soon. EE