Faith, Hope, and Love

I read a wonderful devotional today about faith, hope and love.  It said that you have to have hope first before you can have faith, and that once obtained, faith won't last if you don't have love.  It was so true that it sent chills down my spine!   For so long I stayed in an unhealthy body because I had quite frankly given up hope.  While watching a 638 pound man on a TV show go painfully about his day, the message was obvious that he'd also given up hope.   It's daunting to face such a huge task of losing weight and so therefore I think lots of people - my former self included - give up before they start.  

People can't have hope on demand.  They have to find it for themselves...and the way you do that is latch on to one small thing and let it slingshot you into a new life.   My slingshot was promising the trainers at work that I would show up for that first workout.   I had no hope that I would be successful at this, but I latched on to that small commitment to be down in the gym at 3 o'clock. By 4 o'clock I had my hope back.   I cannot tell you how good that feels.   And now, through having that hope, I have faith in myself that I'm going to be successful at this and that I'm going to be healthy. 

Faith is also made of love.   The more I open myself up to this journey and where it is leading me, the more love comes my way from family, friends and co-workers. It makes me want to take that support and pour it back into other people by helping them.   Faith. Hope. Love.  It's a win/win situation.