"I’m going to tell you a story about a girl I once knew. She grew up with a Mom, Dad, and an older brother. When I say older, her brother was 10 ½ years older. This girl loved her brother, but it was hard because he had mental disabilities so she had to be the older sibling. This girl was happy, cheerful, and loved life. Most of all she loved God. Church was her favorite place to be, involved in Awana, choir, bible studies, everything church you can think of this girl did. At the age of 10 everything started to change. People were making fun of her, how she looked, how her brother acted, everything. She wanted to be perfect, for her family and for God. School was very important to her. She always had straight A’s and was the ‘perfect’ child.
12 years old, that seems so young but having to take care of her brother she was quite mature for her age. Her Mom told her she was going to have to change schools. Secretly she was ecstatic, this was her chance! Her chance to change. Moving schools was a huge turning point in this girl’s life; she was being teased at her new school now as well. God was just a distant thought in her mind. She thought God had abandoned her. Church was now a place she was forced to go to. Youth group never was even a thought in her mind. She wanted to change, change everything. The first thing she wanted to change was how she looked.
One less bite of lunch was how it started. Skipping breakfast, turned to skipping lunch, turned to only having one meal a day. 3-4 hours of working out until she felt to faint to go anymore. That is when she would stop. The weight was magically falling off. For a while at least, the weight started not coming off. The toilet was soon her best friend; the laxative isle knew her by name. No one cared about her. Or so she thought. This went on for 4 years with no one finding out. It was her little secret. One day, her secret had leaked, a few of her friends soon found out. The rumor was out. “She has an eating disorder.” Life didn’t get much easier for her. Slowly her body started to fail on her, passing out was too common. She met a woman from church who was willing to meet with her. At first she was hesitant, but she then began to trust her. She soon learned that what she was doing to herself was a sin. She needed medical help and spiritual help. God needed to become her best friend again. Children’s Hospital was soon her second home. Every other week she had to meet with a nutritionist and a doctor. Her church friend kept her accountable spiritually and slowly but surely God was becoming closer and closer. Church was her favorite place to be. But eating was still really difficult. February 4th, 2010 she collapsed in Church. She was rushed to the emergency room to find out she had Gall Stones. Usually common in fat, forty, fertile, females. The only thing that she had in common was she was a lady. Soon to find out that crash dieting was the cause of this. February 12th, 2010 she was having surgery. Ironically always getting sick after she ate, she could eat less than before.
If you haven’t figured this out yet, this girl is me. Brittany. Now on January 19, 2011, I am working on getting better, slowly but surely. Things still aren’t perfect, but I am closer to God than I have ever been. God cares, he cares about me. 1st Peter 5:7 says “Cast all of your anxieties on him because he cares for you.” God cares for me; after all that I did to myself, my friends and my family, God still cares for me. He loves me as well. I realize that things will get better, on Gods time and he has a reason for all of this. Where am I with God now? I have to read my Bible every day. Not because I have to but because I need to! Seeing the extraordinary gift that God has given me, given everyone brings joy to my heart. I am so grateful for Christ and the gift he has given me. Just remember, Everything you do, or what happens to you is planned out by the Almighty who created us in his image. God has a plan. And his plan is perfect!
Signed,
Brittany App"
Maybe Brittany's story comes as a shock to you, maybe it sounds all too familiar and hits too close to home. We all struggle through this life and are tempted to sin, but God has given us a way out. Freedom from the bondage of our sinful, human nature. Romans 3:23 says, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.", Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.", and John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.". (NIV)
God knows the condition of our sin and our hearts. He knows that if we are left to our own devices, we will fail. Which is why he's given us the gift of freedom from our sins through the death and resurrection of his Son, Jesus Christ.
Brittany's life, like yours and mine, will have struggles, but God is there for us every step of the way. He never abandoned Brittany through the rough patches of her life, even though sometimes it may have felt that way; No, he was right there, he had never moved... She had. By thinking she could make things better herself, her relationship with God suffered because she wanted to control the things of her life instead of giving the control to God.
You are guilty of that too. I'm sure you can think of a time (maybe multiple) when you've tried to be in control instead of letting go and letting God be in control. You and Brittany are not unlike each other.
If you have any questions about Brittany's story or about God being in control of your life or about God in general, feel free to contact Steve Grieme or any of the other youth leaders, and I'm sure Brittany would love to answer any questions you may have too. =)
