Below are Nicole's thoughts on Chapter 13 of The Power of A Praying Parent by Stormie Omartian. Please keep in mind that what we all learn from a study is usually different. We would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter as well. Please share in the comment section below this post.
"I don't ever want to go back to that doctor again!" Hunter screamed as we walked out of the pediatrician's office yesterday. "He's the worst doctor ever. I can't believe he told you that!"
Yes, my son was mad. He was devastated. How could his favorite doctor in the world advise me the worst possible thing in the world...no more fast food. As Hunter is screaming mad and Sean is clearly not happy either that we would no longer be visiting some of our favorite fast food hang outs and getting those cool little toys, I'm wondering how in the world am I going to do this. How can I take away something that I just started giving them?
Sounds crazy right? Let me back up a little...for the past four years, my children have been on a very healthy diet. Aside from the occasional splurge, everything we ate was organic, no preservatives, no food dyes and my son with autism ate completely gluten and dairy free. Fruits and vegetables were the core of our diet. Since the beginning of summer, we have had alot of traveling, alot of company and alot of chaos. So my husband and I decided we'd let our son go off the diet with enzymes. He did wonderfully. No behaviors, no bathroom issues. We, along with our son, loved our new options of food. Then, we slipped more. We did more fast food, chicken nuggets, french fries, chips, ice cream, chocolate, candy....all of the things that I swore I would never give my kids on a daily basis. About a month ago, my son with autism was prescribed a big dose of steroids and antibiotics to try to eliminate all of the strep in his body. Needless to say, a mixture of steroids and a bad diet equals weight gain. My son gained six pounds in less than a month. My pediatrician reassured me that he is by no means over weight. Before the steroids and bad diet, he was a little on the skinny side. However, if we keep eating the way we have been and he continues to gain six pounds each month, that's a 72 pound weight gain in a year. Not good for anyone, especially a child.
Back to the screaming and crying about no more fast food...I'm driving in the car thinking how in the world am I going to get these kids back on a healthy diet. How am I going to convince two eight year olds, one with autism, that grilled chicken, asparagus and rice is so much better than that Happy Meal from McDonald's? What have I done?
After we get home from our wonderful doctors appointment, I grabbed my book, The Power of the Praying Parent. It's my turn to write in the blog this week. I really am overwhelmed but I will follow through with what God wants. Then, I open the book to this week's chapter...Having the Motivation For Proper Body Care.
Seriously God?
Just what I needed. I realized in that moment that it's not about me convincing my children to have healthy habits. It's not about me sneaking their veggies in their favorite foods or taking the long way home so that we don't pass those fast food restaurants. It's about me giving it to God. It's up to me to pray for my children as often as possible to desire the healthy foods, to truly want to eat healthy so that when they grow up they make the right choices for their bodies, not for me.
You know, my first thought when the doctor told me no more fast food was "but they are so happy when we pull into Chick-fil-A." The very first sentence in Chapter 13 quickly grabbed ahold of my heart....
"Left to themselves in this junk-food world, children will be attracted to all the wrong foods." page 99 In other words, if we let our children decide for themselves, they are going to go for the food that looks good. Most of the time, it's food that is not good for them. Stormie reminds us on page 100 that we can't force our children to make these healthy choices for themselves, especially when they are older. Only the power of God through prayer can make the difference. Stormie ends this chapter with this...
Your child needs Holy Spirit guidance and strength to do what's right for his or her body. Your prayers can spare them much defeat, frustration, and heartbreak. Don't you wish you'd had someone praying about this for you?
Dear Lord,
I lift up all of our children as we try to teach them the healthy road in life. I ask that you guide us as teach them about healthy food and exercise. Give them the spirit to crave the healthy way in life instead of the fast food way. Also give us as their parents the desire to be healthy as well so that we can lead by example.
In Your Name We Pray,
Amen
Bible Verses from Chapter 13
Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's. - 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are. - 1 Corinthians 3:17
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. - Romans 12:1
Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. - Romans 13:14
Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. - 1 Corinthians 10:31
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