Day Ten: Oh..... to be Smitten

Things are always best in the beginning; Kids look forward to the first day of school and making new friends, teenagers excited to get their driver’s license to be more independent and help out the family, new job opportunities after college graduation, the build-up and excitement of first dates, the New Year’s Resolution to eat healthier and get fit, and even Adam and Eve had the best adventure in Paradise….in the beginning.

But then, the world sinks in. After about a week in school the kids are complaining they have to get up early, have too much homework, and nothing to wear; despite spending hundreds of dollars on school clothes. The teenager that was excited to get their license so they could run errands and help with carpool, is annoyed that mom runs out of milk so quickly and her sister always wants to pick the radio station on the way to school. The college graduate soon realizes that no amount of education could have prepared them for cranky and demanding bosses; long hours and the amount of their paycheck after taxes. First dates sometimes turn into seconds and thirds; even getting to marriage. At which point they discover they don’t have as much in common as they thought and soon find themselves watching different TV shows in separate rooms. The New Year’s Resolution goes strong for a few weeks; one trip to the organic grocery store and maybe five or six jaunts to the gym….sweating wasn’t what it was cracked up to be and they decided a size 14 was as good a size as any. Then there was Adam and Eve and we all know how that turned out

When Lysa mentioned being smitten in her devotion today, I knew that had to be a topic of discussion for me. She says: “Before I met my exercise-loving husband, I believed the only reason a person should sweat was if he or she was lying by the pool. But when I encountered Art, I temporarily changed my attitude. I was smitten. Oh, how I was motivated when I discovered that running was a fantastic way to spend more time with this man. However, on the first day of our honeymoon, when he woke up cheerfully and initiated an early-morning run, I thought, “Gracious, why would I want to do that? We’re married now.” And I didn’t run again for many years.”

I love the word “smitten.” I used it a lot when my husband and I were dating; and even a little while after we were married; admittedly….probably not as long as I should have. Even though I was, and still am, quite smitten with him; I just didn’t tell him like I used to and I stopped asking him if he was just as smitten with me. The definition of the word according to Dictionary.com is:

smit-ten: 

–adjective

1.    struck, as with a hard blow.

2.    grievously or disastrously stricken or afflicted.

3.    very much in love.

We are all smitten with things “in the beginning;” even our individual relationships with Jesus can be described that way. I received the very best of compliments this week at one of my bible studies. I was telling the story of David and Jonathan to another woman in our class as we were talking about friendships as described in Proverbs. Those that know me, know that when it comes to sharing stories of the bible or friendship, I tend to get very excited….add those two together and there is no stopping me. I was happy to tell the story of one of the greatest friendships given to us in the bible as if I was there to experience it firsthand. I said “I may be a Christian of just 16 months but I love it when we get to see these examples to live by and just can’t help myself when asked how I feel about this friendship.” Another woman asked me “How long did you say you were saved?” And I repeated … “16 Months.” (This is where the compliment comes in) She said: “Wow, that’s great…you still have your glow.”

That was probably the one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me and she probably had no idea just how much it meant to me, although looking back, I soooo should have told her.

I am “very much in love” with Jesus. The hope and promises that He gives to us. The ability to hit the reset button and know that failure is not final. “The steps of the godly are directed by the Lord. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble they will not fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.” Psalm 37:23 …If my excitement and “smitten-ness” can be seen from the outside as a “glow” I am happy to continue glowing for him and not to have “Lost that Loving Feeling” (The Righteous Brothers circa 1964 never playing in the background.)

In the beginning, when we tend to be most smitten with someone we give gifts for no reason at all; hubby bringing home fresh flowers on the way home from work, a greeting card to a friend, or a trinket to let mom know you were thinking of her. Just as I continue to be smitten by Jesus, I am vowing to make this weight loss journey a gift to him…. while benefitting from it, myself. This is the first time that I have started a real life lifestyle change. This is not a resolution to “try and get through” or a diet that will allow me to lose the weight but not maintain it. This is a choice. This is an opportunity. This is my promise to Him just as he has given us so many promises and examples to learn from.

"Dear Jesus…. I promise to crave you more. Not just more than food, but more than money, more than stuff, and more than anyone else. I know that you paid a price for me and that this body is yours. I promise you that it will be taken care of like it has not been in the past and that my outside will match my inside, becoming the sanctuary you deserve."  Amen

“Do you not know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20