We don't eat out that much, especially at fast food places, BUT when we do, I often get frustrated with the seeming lack of ability to HEAR and UNDERSTAND what I say when I place my order.
"It's a great day here at McDonalds. What can we get for you today?" (I have no idea if that's what they say because I can't remember the last time I went to McDonalds)
"Yeah, I'll take a grilled chicken sandwich, no mayo. A small strawberry smoothie. And 2 waters."
"Okay, that's a crispy chicken sandwich, extra mayo. Large mango smoothie. And a water. Your total is $8.93" (Again, I have no idea how much that would cost)
"Um, I need a GRILLED chicken sandwich with NO mayo. A SMALL STRAWBERRY smoothie and TWO waters, please."
"Okay, sorry about that. A grilled chicken sandwich, mayo on the side. Small strawberry banana smoothie and 2 waters. Got it. Please pull forward to the second window."
And then the voice is gone and you're left wondering what you are going to get when you reach the window.
Here's how it works, in marriage...
Husband: You should go to the gym a couple nights a week.
Wife: Why?! Are you saying I'm fat and need to lose weight? Are you telling me you don't find me attractive anymore?
Husband: Oh my goodness, NO!! I just enjoy my time at the gym and find it to be a great way to relieve stress. You had mentioned wanting some time to yourself, and I just thought you might like to get away and go to the gym or something.
Wife: Yeah, I would love some time by myself! I can't even go to the bathroom alone, so getting out of the house without the kids would be a real treat! Maybe I can decide what I do though...
You see how it's important to not only take into account what someone says, but the HEART behind those words. I think we jump to conclusions far too quickly because we make the mistake of NOT listening with our hearts. Our ears fail us far too often. And thus we end up misunderstanding someone, feeling hurt, being angry, or far worse.
As I listened to a team call last night, I heard a fellow mom share her story. She is a mother of 5 young children, and after her 5th precious baby was born, she was feeling quite depressed. She didn't like the way her body looked, and she was losing hope of ever wearing her pre-baby clothes again. As many people do, she eats when stressed. She openly admitted this was not helping her cause any, but only making her feel worse about herself. She was in a downward spiral. On top of this, she was busy tending to the needs of her family AND running an in-home daycare for 12 hours a day. She was tired, overwhelmed, discouraged, stretched to the max, and probably feeling a little under appreciated or maybe just LOST.
I am pretty darn sure many moms out there can relate. I know I can!! And I only have 3 kids!!!
Her story hit close to home for more than 1 reason.
*I know how hard it is to get your pre-baby body back after having children, even if you just have 1 baby
*I tend to feel down on myself if I don't like how I look
*When I feel like that, I don't want to go out or do anything because I don't want people to see me and "judge" me (granted, they may not think a single thing about me as they are far too busy trying to keep track of their own kids or run their errands before their lunch break is over or whatever)
*I lose hope and feel like nothing I do will help or make a difference
*The spark and joy of life is gone
*I just go through the motions
*I don't have a sense of purpose or passion
Now, that is NOT how we are made to live. Not even close!!!!!
I firmly believe we are created to ENJOY life. Jesus Himself declared He came to give us ABUNDANT life (John 10:10). That starts with a personal relationship with Him and grows and flourishes as we spend time with Him and get to know His heart and allow Him to work freely in our lives.
What I described above is NOT what Jesus had in mind. YET, it is how far too many of us are living. Granted, you may not be in the exact same situation, but I can almost guarantee you struggle from time to time in one way or another.
YOU are why I am an It Works distributor.
As I listened to this fellow mama share her heart, I felt like maybe I needed to do some "Drive Thru Talking" with you all to make sure you are not just seeing the words I post on Facebook but truly "hearing" the HEART behind them.When I post about the wraps and share amazing before and after pictures, I am NOT saying you need to look a certain way to be beautiful or pretty. I am NOT saying you need to be a certain jean size or dress size to be accepted. That is NOT my heart at all!!! Instead, I am celebrating with women (and men) who feel good about the way they look and thus have a renewed sense of joy and hope; they see a light at the end of the tunnel; they see progress and know their work at the gym and their struggle to eat right is paying off after all; they get a glimpse of what can be and they are ready to press on and truly LIVE again.
Everything I post in regards to It Works revolves around this - helping as many people as I can recognize their worth and value as an individual created in God's image, inspiring and encouraging them to live out the dreams and passions God has placed in their hearts, and equipping them with the tools and resources that will enable them to fulfill their calling and live the ABUNDANT life He has prepared for them.
When you are healthy, you have more energy. Your body performs better, like it's supposed to. You feel better on the inside and are able to DO more, GO more, GIVE more, BE more. You can play with your kids. You can enjoy family time. You can make memories. You aren't so focused on yourself and your problems and struggles, but rather are able to help others. You are excited. You have a spark in your eyes and a lift in your step. You have purpose. You have passion.
Now, THAT sounds MUCH better than the story the mama of 5 was sharing. And you know what changed her story? It Works!!! She had been going to the gym for 5 months and had lost 20 pounds BUT still wasn't seeing results or able to fit into her clothes like she wanted. She still didn't feel good about who she was. She was still depressed and discouraged, and about to give up. THEN, she tried a wrap! That wrap truly changed her life...
She is now a top earner in the company and helping countless others use our natural health and wellness products to feel better about themselves too, from the inside out! She is also teaching and training her team mates, leading them to the same financial freedom her family is enjoying.
So, yeah, I post A LOT about It Works. I share about wraps and greens and supplements and skin care products seemingly all.the.time. And that's because they have changed MY life and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt they can do the same for so many others, for YOU!
I have personally struggled with eating disorders. I know what it feels like to lose your identity as you begin to think all you do as a mom is change diapers, clean up messes, make meals, yell at kids to pick up toys, wash clothes, clean toilets, drive your kids to all their activities, help with homework, and fall in bed exhausted only to get up and do it all over again the next day. I understand the anxiety that comes with not knowing how you are going to pay your bills. I have experienced the stress of working multiple jobs and my husband doing the same just so we could make ends meet and put food on the table for our children. I can relate to discouragement and frustration...
BUT, I can also share about how all that changed for me, for my family. To keep that to myself would be SELFISH and down right WRONG.
I hope you hear my heart when you see my posts or watch a video I make or listen to me talk in person. I hope you LOOK PAST the words on the screen and FEEL the emotions behind them. I hope you understand why I am so passionate about this. I hope you are willing to see if our health and wellness products could HELP YOU in some way. I hope you are ready to take a look at the business side and see if this company could BLESS YOU in some way.
If so, I would love to chat with you more!
If you're local, we can grab some coffee or tea or whatever you like.
If distance prevents us from that, we can certainly talk on the phone or even set up a Google Hangout chat or Skype so we can see each other.
Whatever the case may be, I hope we got any misunderstandings cleared up. I would hate for you to pull up to the window and not get what you ordered...
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