Some of you who actually follow my blog may not know that since having Hunter, I've had thyroid issues. Finally, this past fall, I received a diagnosis: Hashimoto's and mild hyperthyroiditis (how they co-exist, I still don't understand, but that's for another post). Since then, I have been trying to combat the symptoms (and ultimately the cause, if that's really even possible) through natural means (oils) in an effort to avoid taking medication (hormones). As part of my research, I've found several persons/sites that recommend changing my diet to combat my condition. Since Hashimoto's is an auto-immune disease, the thinking is that if I remove inflammatory foods from my diet, then my body will ultimately heal itself.
And so I decided to embark on a detox starting February 1 and continuing until the end of the is week (Feb. 21). My purpose was to find out if God wants me to change my diet, and if so, how. The two that I've read about suggest two different approaches: one suggests going gluten-free, and the other is a more restrictive Paleo diet. (In either instance, I'd have to cut out the baked goods that I so love.) Anyway, the detox I'm following (the Daniel Fast) is a vegan diet with more restrictions, but accompanied by Bible study/prayer three times a day. And prayer is making all the difference.
See, I've been praying for healing, for guidance about my diet, and for self-control, but God is working on answering another prayer that I hadn't even proffered as a goal: endurance. Today is Day 16 of my detox/fast, and let me tell you, I really want some bread (I can't have leavened bread on this fast). I want some so badly that I was thinking of ending the fast early just so that I could eat some. (When I put this in writing, it seems so silly.) Granted, I am allowing myself to add certain foods back into my diet now, but that's due to health reasons. Still, that's not a reason to automatically include EVERYTHING (sugar, caffeine, carbs) all at once.
So... endurance. I had a moment of epiphany today while I was simultaneously pining away for a fresh loaf of bread and calling on God to help me resist the temptation: He wants me to endure, just a few more days. That's it. One day at a time. Though it feels like I'll never have another baked good again, I will, just not today. But the beauty is that I don't have to resist it on my own strength; He is my strength. When I call on Him in my moments of weakness, He will fill me with resolve, reminding me that there's something better than giving in to the temptation.
And isn't life about endurance? Scott's long weeks at work require me to endure; I don't get to shut down right after dinner, for I still need to get the kids cleaned up and put them to bed. I have to endure and persevere. On the weekends (when he's working, and I'm definitely ready to have his help again), I have to endure, getting the kids ready for and to church on time; getting them up from their rests and out the door to Awana; getting them fed and then ready for bed. When I think about venturing into full-time homeschooling this fall and all the sacrifices that will entail, I must endure. Yes, there will be times when I'll want to give in to the temptations (lamenting the lack of down time; wishing for a day free of making school plans; ignoring the needs of the house or complaining about what isn't getting done), but God is teaching me now to prepare to endure.
And so, as I finish this fast/detox, I'm choosing to endure, to persevere. To take each day separately, and each trial as it comes, knowing that God is with me, rooting me on to victory. And whether or not I receive an answer to my health, I know that whatever He calls me to, He will equip me for success.
