Grateful Sunday

It's been awhile since a wrote a "Grateful Sunday" post. I don't want to get out of the habit because they just happen to be my favorite posts. In Relief Society today, our lesson was on the "Raise The Bar" talk given in the Priesthood Session of General Conference. Great lesson about continuing to push ourselves to ultimately become like Christ. I want to share a cool experience I have had lately.
Anyone that knows me personally is very aware that I LOVE diet coke. I have been drinking it for years. I am one who cracks open my first diet coke at 6:00am on my way to the gym. I am the Young Women's leader with the cooler of diet coke in my car at girl's camp. I am the one who PANICS on BYU campus because all they serve is CAFFEINE FREE diet coke. I like the REAL stuff, the leaded kind. It is my friend.

Over the past year I have been consuming about a 12-pack a day. Though an avid diet coke drinker, I am also a healthy eater. I love my whole grains, drinking lots of water, eating my veggies and making spinach shakes. (See here) However, back in the very depths of my mind, hiding somewhere amongst the fog, have been worries about the amount of diet coke I have been consuming and the ill effects it was having on my body. I was also bugged that I have been so addicted. No matter how hard I tried to justify it with "well, if this is the worst thing I am doing then so be it" attitude, bottom line is I was a diet coke addict and felt I would be for life.

My problem...I've never really had the desire to give up diet coke. NO DESIRE WHATSOEVER! Bring on the million reasons why it is bad for you, bring on the Word of Wisdom argument. I didn't care. It was my friend. Whenever I have wanted to change any habit or accomplish any goal in my life...it has always started with some sort of DESIRE...the desire to be closer to Heavenly Father, the desire to be thin, the desire to be fit, the desire to be a good mother, a good wife etc.

This little dilemma sparked a conversation I had in one of my prayers with Heavenly Father sometime in January. (New Year's resolutions mode) I told Him "that I had no desire to stop drinking diet coke. I LOVED diet coke and I REALLY enjoy drinking it. But then, I told Him that I also had a desire to be obedient and so if I was ever going to try to stop drinking diet coke, I needed Him to give me the desire to do so."

A couple months later, we were in St. George over Easter break. I became extremely ill with INFLUENZA. It was not good. Jim had a trip and had to fly out of St. George Sunday night which meant me driving home alone with the kids on Monday. I downed as much Red Bull as I could, made the drive home, and pretty much didn't get out of bed for 2 weeks. During that time drinking a diet coke made me want to barf. It sounded repulsive!

I ended up drinking nothing but water for a week and decided to take advantage of my opportunity. This was it! I was going off diet coke. As I started to get better my craving for diet coke returned. I decided to limit myself to one (if that) a day. (Infact, I am drinking my ONE for the day right now) It has been exactly one month today since I stopped drinking more than one can of diet coke a day. Down from a 12-pack a day is AWESOME! It wasn't easy! Remember...diet coke was my friend. I DID, however, lose 5 pounds in the process. That little "bonus" helped fuel my determination.

My next hurdle is getting rid of my ONE can a day. And sadly, I have NO desire right now to do that. I guess it is time to get down on my knees and try again.

Hopefully I am making my point which has nothing to do with diet coke. I will continue to drink one every once in awhile and will never be one to think it a big deal that anyone around me drinks it. My POINT is that I, personally, had what I thought was a bad habit for me. I, personally, didn't like that I was addicted. We all have little bad habits we can all justify and live with. Let's be honest...I have quite a bit. But if we are trying our best to overcome bad habits with a purpose of becoming more like Christ...I know He WILL ALWAYS help us. Even if we need to ask Him first for a little desire. :)

I am sure that a lot of people would consider this experience a little silly or just a coincidence. That's ok. I KNOW that it was Christ's way of giving me that desire I needed. A scripture that was given in our Stake Conference last week has really seemed to knock this home for me. (Isn't it amazing how often I need to get "knocked") It is D&C 68:6: "Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you." Whenever it got to the point that I didn't think I could take it and wanted to give in. I would always say in my mind, "I can do anything with Him by my side." It worked.

Just a little testimony booster for me. I know that if we are trying to "Raise the Bar" in our own life, Christ will help us when we ask. For this...I am extremely grateful.