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I am so sorry for the long gap in posting. I had many things going on. Working, packing to move, going to church, bible study, volunteering, brief social visits, doctor visits, well you get the picture. I was busy. Too busy, something I really don’t like to be anymore. I promised myself that since I moved back to New York from Florida I would not let myself get stressed and pressed. It almost happened, praise the Lord I think I caught it in time.

Then after I moved, I thought “aha” I’ve got a better handle on it and voila! It happened again. Since I was closer to work but further from the places I volunteered at and worshiped at, I had to adjust my schedule, and my gas allowance. I also see more doctors now. You have got to know that it’s just the way it is, as we get older that’s what happens. Wear and tear. All the times when we should have been taking care of ourselves were spent in postponement of self obligation. Either we thought getting old was never going to happen to us, we didn’t have the money or insurance, the transportation to and from, the doctor always gets me upset mindset, or being too proud to go to the doctors for only God knows why, we still need to do our routine maintenance and checkups. I have always tried to the best of my ability to take care of myself. Oh, I wasn’t  an athlete or superstar just a regular hard working person. I finally got medical insurance so now I can work on my physical self.

But my emotional self obviously needed more work. I did have a problem with rewarding myself for things well done. Whether it was a job well done, an accomplishment of a long term/short term goal, a friend in town or socializing with my friends kind of reward, it was a food reward. Years ago, I punished myself with food, I thought I was ugly, not good enough, always apologizing for something I had no control over, or my inability to deal with my life circumstances. My life was difficult in the past, praise the Lord that’s all behind me now.

When I realized that I hid behind food, that I punished myself with food, I was comforted by food, and that I had used food like many people use alcohol or drugs. I had an awakening. I thought I had it all figured out. But now for the flip side, I reward myself. Instead of telling myself, that the extra lunch money can go into an account I allowed myself to be blindsided and lost control. Going out to eat used to be part of my entertainment too. I would go out to eat and then the movies. Normal right? Except at the movies I had a large buttered popcorn, no drink or candy usually. Just water.

Geez Louise! I thought about this today as I sat at my favorite Chinese Restaurant, a buffet restaurant. Getting my usual two plates, one with meat and veggies the other with fish and seafood, I sat down to eat. Quietly by myself which is the norm for me since I left Florida. Sure I go out once in a while with my good friends but when they’re not around I take myself out.

While sitting there, eating, drinking my hot tea, watching others, I noticed most people, not all the people but most of them are obese. Now I’m overweight, not enough to require surgical intervention but I couldn’t help wondering about the sin of Gluttony. I have also noticed this at my chiropractors office. Most people that come in are overweight and out of shape out of shape. Interesting terminology, “out of shape”. As if we take on a new form, a disfigured self. I noticed that about myself. I looked bloated and puffy, my skin felt different, my body ached more.

According to Merriam-Webster dictionary it’s:

Excessive eating or drinking, excessive overindulgence        

According to velocity.net (Ed Tarkowski) : 

It is a result of lawlessness where gluttony, rebellion, disobedience and the like just walk in and take over. Gluttony contributes to lawlessness because gluttony is excess, and that excess indulges the self and leads to a lack of self-control. The time or activity that one spends glutting himself takes away time from other things, and brings forth a life of irresponsibility. In order to justify the time spent on whatever consumes him, the glutton can’t be wrong because that might infringe on the freedom to do what he wants. Therefore, when things go awry, everyone else is responsible for the problems. The glutton has to fill himself with what he wants to do to satisfy self, and this is usually done at the expense of others. http://www.velocity.net/~edju70/1deadly.htm

Well, THAT was an eye opener. I’ve been working on my humility and disobedience and low and behold I read this. Yep, it’s true for me, what about you? How about this one?

The chief error about Gluttony is to think it only pertains to food. Some people can’t have enough toys, television, entertainment, sex, or company. It is about an excess of anything. There are at least three forms of Gluttony:

  1. Wanting more pleasure from something than it was made for.
  2. Wanting it exactly our way (delicacy).
  3. Demanding too much from people (excessive desire for other people’s time or presence)    http://www.holyspiritinteractive.net/features/thesevendeadlysins/gluttony.asp

Geez Louise, I had no idea. I need to reel myself in and ask God to help me on this one. It’s more involved than just overeating and spoiling myself. I surely don’t want to be disobedient or stalk anyone. I’m trusting God and having more faith. I need strength, His strength. Help me Father.

 This sin is insidious, I need to pay more attention. There are many twists and turns on the way to Heavens gate. Thank you Jesus for opening my eyes once again.

Here’s some more resources on one of the Seven Deadly Sins:

The Holy Bible

http://www.holyspiritinteractive.net/features/thesevendeadlysins/gluttony.asp

http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Bible-Verses-About-Gluttony/

http://www.upworthy.com/7-deadly-sins-map-how-does-your-state-stack-up