Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections but instantly set about remedying them - every day begin the task anew.
Saint Francis de Sales (1567 - 1622)
This quote, one of the first 3 I read (it usually takes a LONG time!), is so perfect for this week! My weight loss efforts were temporarily put on hold as I played with a cow's milk free diet for a while and ultimately said...um, not gonna happen! My baby was diagnosed with a cow's milk allergy (read about it here) and I made the heart wrenching decision to cease nursing and switch to formula. The irony is that I am finding out through this process that I am actually somewhat of a cow. No...I'm not putting myself down for being overweight. I think I'm literally part cow...as in, I make SO much milk! The last time I pumped was this past Saturday and I've still Got Milk! Get it...the milk ads. Ha ha!
Anyway, TMI, I know! But, one of my regrets about going to formula is that I was really starting to roll with the losing weight while nursing thing...meaning, I was losing and still eating A LOT! Now I really have to watch it very closely - bummer.
Now, normally my instinct would be to give up at this point. I've already been derailed by all of the craziness of the past two weeks. I haven't lost anything recently. I'm no closer than I was before. But I don't want to give up. I want to have patience with myself and my situation. I do not want to lose courage in trying to look at what I'm doing wrong and I want to work to improve.
Lent is great time to do that spiritually as well. I actually went to confession last weekend for the first time in forever...longer than I care to admit! Since I went, I've tried to take a little time each evening to think over my day and what I've done to separate myself from God. I've noticed that when I don't go to confession often, I have a harder time with my examination of conscience. It sounds crazy! It seems like there should be more sins the longer I've gone without confessing! But I think when I don't go regularly, I tend to gloss over what I've done wrong. After taking that step to go, to say the sins out loud and then to hear those wonderful, soothing, healing words, "I absolve you of your sins", it tends to really stand out to me afterwards when I fail. I think that is one of the graces we receive when we confess our sins and why it is important to go often.
So...whatever it is you are struggling with, I hope that you will be patient with the situation and yourself. And don't lose courage!
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