Childhood Struggles: Battling Obesity at a Young Age

For me, it all goes back to who I was designed to be. 

I became a Christian at the age of 21. I don’t have a fancy testimony or an out of body experience to share, but I can say that who I was is very different from who I am now.

I struggled with obesity at a very young age. I’m talking about when I was 6 years old. Now that I think about it, it began when my mom became pregnant with my brother. Can a 6 year old sympathy eat? Regardless, I was excited to have a new brother, but for some reason, I had an emotional attachment to food. I suppose this is a wound I have yet to unveil.

The Weight of Rejection: Overcoming Challenges in Making Friends

Being overweight made it hard for me to connect with other kids my age. Making friends was difficult. 

When I was unable to run as fast as the other kids on the playground, or I was bound to sweat more in the heat, or when I would have rather stayed inside than put a bathing suit on to go swimming in the pool with my peers, I missed out on that bit of connection which was vital for friendship among kids doing what most kids love to do. 

From Bullying to Transformation: A Journey of Self-Reflection

A boy in 5th grade once said to me, “Looks like you should be on the Atkins diet”. He probably doesn’t even remember this moment, but I do.

I struggled with my weight back and forth throughout middle school and high school, as well. Being bullied during these vulnerable years, led me to bully in order to feel better about myself. This was wrong, but I’m sharing this with you because it’s a fact.

Miracles and Forgiveness: Building Meaningful Friendships

Then I met my boyfriend (now husband) who introduced me to Christianity and the concept of having a relationship with Jesus. Jesus worked on my heart for 4 years, and one evening I prayed.  I asked God to show me 3 planes flying simultaneously in the sky. Side by side. All at once. (This was something I had never seen before, and felt that it would be a miracle if I did see such a scene). God didn’t have to do this to prove himself, but He did. 

There it was, 3 planes  flying in the sky like a perfectly orchestrated air show, but it was just a regular old summer night of planes flying as they typically do.

From that day on, I asked God to show me what it meant to forgive and to be forgiven for the bullying and disappointments of my past. I felt it in my soul, that in order to accomplish this, the best way to start would involve building positive and meaningful friendships.

For me, this meant loving people as unique individuals as they were made to be. 

Beyond their outward facades, I found that people were awesome. Are awesome. I mean, I am literally in awe of human beings. 

Forgiveness and Friendship: Finding Healing Through Meaningful Connections

From every thought that we have to every unique talent, hobby, or interest. We see these characteristics come to life when shared with one another. 

I may know how to sew a stitch and you may know how to sew a whole blanket. Either way, we may love sewing just the same, and when my stitch becomes your blanket, we can successfully say we’ve made a difference in each other’s lives. 

We are all capable of doing something beyond the scope of ordinary, but it takes meaningful relationships (specifically in the form of friendships) to gain the most of what life has to offer. 

Why are friendships the food of my soul? Because I’ve learned that the instant gratification of literal food, doesn’t compare to the gratification of a true friendship. Friendships where I have to humbly present myself and love whomever is before me. I choose words of encouragement and life-giving statements. Not because that’s what I experienced in my life, but because friendship is the greatest food of all, and I believe that God gave us one another to speak life over one another. 

What does it look like to give life to another person? Join Spinnr and see for yourself.