Prayer, Plain and Simple

Prayer, Plain and Simple

The Eucharist Diet: Evicting Temptation

posted by Mark Herringshaw | 10:43am Thursday January 28, 2010

January 28, 2010

Day 27

Weight: 198 lbs

Weight lost: -8 lbs

“Lead me not into temptation…” My friend Mindy – her office is next to mine – just returned from a trip to Israel. The day she flew home she purchased a “gift” for our office, a luxury box of assorted baklava, Heavenly and deadly treats. She sat it conveniently beside the printer we all share. I walk by it 8 or 10 times a day, and yes, I’ve tasted my share. Oh my, it’s truly amazing stuff, and of course loaded with fats and sugar. Yes, I’m taking communion every day, and I’m seeing some subtle shifts in my appetites and eating habits, but I have to admit, when the temptation is there before me, there is no magic or miraculous bullet against allurement.

Jesus had a suggestion about temptation: stay away, and pray it away. Ask God to steer it clear. I can’t expect my resolve to stand when I’m constantly confronted with the offer… “Endulge, freely, and enjoy!” There comes a point when I need to either get myself away from the temptation or get the temptation away from myself. I know myself well enough. If the baklava is there, I’m going to sample it. I talk to myself about it. But my rationale is convoluted: “Just one piece. After all, someone’s going to eat it. Don’t miss the chance. It’s here. When will you get another chance like this?”

So this morning I had another piece. I came into the office and I looked at the box and the above conversation played out in my head. I didn’t put up much of a fight and gave in pretty easily. Then, having “eaten of the tree” I knew I shouldn’t have bowed. So I did the only good thing left: I packed up my back and headed out, out of the way, out of range, out of the office. Right now, I’m “leading myself not into temptation” far enough away from the box of baklava to make it far too inconvenient to take another piece…

Sometimes this is my best strategy. I simply need to get way, or get the danger away. This it seems is wisdom.

“God, you have warned me of the pitfalls that might trip up my life. Some are big and immediately destructive temptations. Some, like baklava are small but cumulatively dangerous. You have taught me to pray, “Lead me not into temptation.” I pray this now, that today you will keep temptation away from me and keep me away from temptation. Steer me clear. I am not strong enough to resist forever. Build walls around my choices. And at times give me enough strength of will to get up and walk, or to simply remove the treacherous object of unhealthy desire. You give me guidance and strength to make right choices but you also give me wisdom to act and remove myself or remove the danger. Today, again, lead me away from those things that would damage my life. In Jesus…”

“The Eucharist Diet” adventure is my six month experiment taking daily communion and tracking and posting the results in my personal life, relationships, health, and body fat percentage.



Previous Posts

A Prayer After the Explosions that Rocked Mumbai
At least 10 are dead in three separate explosions that tore through a business district in Mumbai, India today. Dozens more are injured. The Indian government has confirmed that the explosions were terrorist attacks likely from Muslim radicals. They have placed the entire city on high alert. “Go

posted 11:12:12am Jul. 13, 2011 | read full post »

A Prayer for a True Yankee Hero
Christian Lopez could have made a “cool” fifty thousand dollars… at least. Instead, he didn’t ask for a single thing. And that is the real “cool” in the story. Lopez happened to be sitting in the left field seats at Yankee Stadium on Saturday, July 9th when Derek Jeter hit a towering

posted 7:05:04pm Jul. 11, 2011 | read full post »

A Prayer for Victims of Sexual Abuse
Jaycee Dugard, the young woman kidnapped in 1991 at the age of 11 by Phillip Garrido and held captive for nearly two decades told her story last night to Diane Sawyer on ABC News' "Primetime." Gugard appeared remarkably composed throughout the interview. Phillip Garrido, 60, a serial sex offender

posted 7:57:30am Jul. 11, 2011 | read full post »

A Prayer for Rain
Torrential rains this week brought a first-relief to drought-stricken Texas. But much more is needed if the southern states of the US are to escape the historic dry spell that has gripped the region most of the year. Praying for rain seems fitting. “God, you send rains in season. It is a season o

posted 7:50:14pm Jul. 09, 2011 | read full post »

A Prayer for Crime Victims
 Murder is in the news cycle. Casey Anthony was acquitted this week on charges of first degree murder, aggravated child abuse and aggravated manslaughter. Who hasn’t heard about that, and who doesn’t have an opinion? Now Humberto Leal, 38, who was convicted in 1995 in the brutal raping and murd

posted 9:05:37am Jul. 07, 2011 | read full post »

Advertisement
Comments read comments(1)
post a comment
Philip

posted January 28, 2010 at 8:51 pm


There’s an interesting post over at the Health Journal Club that makes the case that people should just not eat anything that wasn’t a food 100 years ago. Sure gets rid of the aspartame, bleached GM flour, high fructose corn syrup garbage they try to pass off as food these days. If interested you can read it here,
http://healthjournalclub.blogspot.com/



report abuse
 

Post a Comment

By submitting these comments, I agree to the beliefnet.com terms of service, rules of conduct and privacy policy (the "agreements"). I understand and agree that any content I post is licensed to beliefnet.com and may be used by beliefnet.com in accordance with the agreements.

Share this story


About Beliefnet

Our mission is to help people like you find, and walk, a spiritual path that will bring comfort, hope, clarity, strength, and happiness. More about Beliefnet.

Help

Media Kit

Subscribe

Legal

Copyright © Beliefnet, Inc. and/or its licensors. All rights reserved. Use of this site is subject to Terms of Service and to our Privacy Policy. Constructed by Beliefnet.

Advertisement

Report as Inappropriate

You are reporting this content because it violates the Terms of Service.

All reported content is logged for investigation.