Appearances

Things are not always what they appear to be. Sometimes our eyes deceive us.

I am amazed that I needed to lose 70 pounds. When I set out to lose weight I knew I needed to lose 50 and probably a few more than that. My problem was I didn’t know what a pound of fat looked like or all the places it was hiding in my body. Now I have a better idea.

I had become so used to being overweight that I couldn’t remember what it was like before. Now my vision is becoming a little clearer and my memory is coming back. I remember in my young twenties when I joined a gym. I wanted to lose about 15 pounds. I weighed about 155. Life sidetracked me and year by year that number grew. If I had lost that weight I would have been where I am now.

Even my wife has no memory of me not being overweight. When we got together I was at that point of needing to lose 15 pounds. For her, my present appearance is something she has never seen.

This week I was replacing some fence posts. As I picked up the 50 pound bags of cement I was reminded of the extra weight I was carrying around - all day and every day. How thankful I am to God for helping me get where I am today.

So appearances can deceive. There are many other areas of my life that may look good on the outside or where my vision has become dull over time. I am thankful that God keeps pulling me along and conforming me into his image.

Here is a Latin saying I aspire to: Esse quam videri. It means To be rather than to seem.  That's what I want in my life. I want to be the real thing and have clear vision of what I am - both good and bad.

Here is a link to other posts about my weight loss journey.

Philip

You Can't Outrun Your Mouth