A friend from work reads Guideposts magazine for the inspirational and happy stories. And she brought this story (did she know how close it is to my own story?) to my attention. Since I can’t post a link, I’m going to post some snippets you can find the whole story in the August 2006 issue:

Supernatural Self-Control by, Katrina Little

….(snip)…. We ate dinner in silence in front of the TV. After a plate of spaghetti, I still felt empty. I went back for seconds and added two pieces of bread slathered with butter and wolfed it down. I was full, but the strange thing was I didn’t feel satisfied. I needed something sweet.

….(snip)….

Later that week at church, a woman asked if I wanted to be on the prayer team for a woman’s weekend retreat. I hesitated. They really want someone like me? I wondered. I said yes.

….(snip)….

The group leader asked us each to write a letter to God telling what we’d like to see him do for us on the retreat. I turned to the Bible looking for some inspiration. That’s when I came to the passage in Galatians about the fruits of the spirit. Love, joy, faithfulness…and self-control. Yes, I thought. There’s what I really need. Not just a little self-control, but a lot of it. In big, clear, bold letters I wrote on my paper, I need supernatural self-control.

Something happened at that retreat camp. I didn’t go for a second helping at dinner. Late at night, the time when I usually would have a “snack,” I didn’t feel any cravings. I didn’t stay up thinking about food. I just drifted off to sleep…. Continue reading →