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          “Mommy, I can’t do it!”  Daniel stomped out of the room frustrated once again.  Time and time again, he tried to tie his shoes.  I wanted to teach him, to instruct and guide him.  He was stubborn.  He was just like me.  Demanding independence, he’d yell, “I CAN DO IT MYSELF.”  I sat and watched him tangle the laces, twisting them, twirling them in and out, up and down.  I waited for him to ask for help.  It was a long hard road.  In time, he surrendered and let me teach him the skills he lacked.  Desire and determination were not enough.

The same theory applies to recovery from food addiction.  People want to diet.  They set their minds toward the goal of being thin (and sane), but they cannot stop overeating.  When a person understands addiction and says, “Yes, I am a food addict.  I surrender.”  He needs to learn how to arrest the disease.  Compassionate people have experienced success and are anxious to help.  It is obvious, however, that we are unique, and people come with different needs.  There is a bottom line—addiction is a physical malady.  We need people.  We need God.  With patient perseverance and open communication, each person can grow beyond the disease into a happy, joyful life.

Teachers, guides, mentors, helping hands, sponsors—whatever the title—they are a necessary piece of the puzzle to get well.  People need people to shine a light in the darkness.  God has magnificently designed a plan for each of His children.  The suffering, afflicted ones can come together and find God’s care and protection.  We can comfort the brokenhearted, announce liberty to captives—those actively overeating—and open the eyes of the blind—Christians who are uninformed about eating disorders and food addicts lacking faith.