Hello Fellow Food Addicts!
I’m so grateful to be able to say that and know I am talking to people who understand that staying out of the food is about more than “ being on a diet”!
My name is Andrea F. I have been in OA for 40.5 years. It has saved my life in many ways and given me a whole new relationship with the Higher Power ( Who I call God) of my entire life. I always thought that God and food were two separate issues. Before program i practiced my religion of choice but continued to binge on a daily basis. It never dawned on me what was happening, but Program and working the Steps changed my insights and behaviors.
I had always pictured my HP ( God) in a certain place. Whenever I prayed I had a certain scenario in my head where God was. After working my program I realized that when I was binging or overeating, I was removing my HP from that scenario and placing food in His place! Food was displacing God in my life when I chose to eat. When I took the time to compare the benefits of God in that moment to the benefits of extra food the results were astounding!
Choosing God: peace, serenity, knowing I’m enough, knowing the power to live a sane and happy life comes from Him ( HP).
Choosing Food: fear, not enoughness, never being full, knowing food will only take more and more to even achieve a false serenity.
This is true in many other areas of my life as well. When I pull HP from the place I envision Him and replace Him with people pleasing and trying to be accepted , I am instantly drawn again into fear, never being enough and knowing it will only take more and more to achieve a false serenity.
This is true also of acquiring stuff, buying things on sale (because it’s a bargain, right?)!, and excess spending. All leave me wanting more and never enough!
The 12 Steps have given me the ability to see and hear( from sponsors and other fellow food addicts) when I am displacing my Higher Power with something else that will give me far, far less and even harm me. My God has never in my entire life caused me harm. Only love, goodness, acceptance and the knowledge that where I am today is ok. As long as I am willing to ask His will for me today and follow through with that, I will be ok: even at peace.
Excess food( our disease) and people pleasing, excess spending and acquiring “ stuff” will never ever give me the peace He ( my HP) brings.
Today I wish for you the willingness to keep God in His God Place. Displacing HP with the false things that bring us that false sense of peace will only feed The Disease and make it grow.
Much Love To All My Fellows,
– Andrea F., Indianapolis, IN