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Saturday, March 6, 2010

Self-discipline...or the lack thereof

A few years ago I decided to give up chocolate for Lent. I had always told myself that chocolate seemed like a silly thing to give up for Lent. After all, it didn't seem very probable that chocolate and spirituality could be linked. But I was on a binge of doing things that scared me--and the thought of giving up chocolate DID scare me. So I gave up chocolate for 40 some odd days, and I discovered that I did not break into seizures if I did not have chocolate on a daily--or even weekly--basis.

But this year I'm thinking that maybe I should make giving up chocolate for Lent an annual thing. For one reason and one reason only. My favorite candy of all time.

When I was in high school and college, there was a limited edition Blue Bunny ice cream that would make an appearance on the shelves every so often. It was, and still is, my gold standard for ice cream. When that ice cream was in stock, I would down a gallon (that's two containers of ice cream, people) a week until it disappeared off the shelves again a month or so later. Fortunately for my waistline and unfortantely for my taste buds, I haven't seen that ice cream in years. Cadbury mini eggs have a similar hold on me. I can easily go through a bag every two days until they go off the shelves. When it comes to these babies, I have no self-restraint whatsoever. And they've been around long enough now that I don't think I'll see them discontinued any time soon.

It might be time to take drastic action. Not just because I might gain 50 lbs by Easter but because regardless of whether chocolate and spirituality are linked, I'm fairly certain that God's a fan of self-discipline...and not so much a fan of gluttony, whatever form that may take.

What's your food-realted weakness?

2 comments:

sharalee said...

dr pepper, chocolate, cookies and doughnuts. i gave them all up for lent two weeks ago. well, chocolate i'm still eating but just twice a week...that was the deal i made with myself so at least i wouldn't go crazy. =)

Bayloretta said...

Dr. Pepper, fried chicken, and BBQ burnt ends. I don't live in a town with good BBQ, I don't fry things, and I avoid buying soda at all times. I would almost kill for good friend chicken right now. Almost.