Drive By

I pass this intersection daily, often several times in a day. Each time I struggle to keep driving. “Don’t stop, don’t give in to temptation,” I tell myself. “But it will taste and feel so good. Just one, well, maybe two, but I’ll finish them before I get home.” I desperately wanted to stop. Then the voice of reason once again says, “You will regret it, you will wish you hadn’t given in. Don’t do it, don’t stop, just drive by.”

Ever experienced this?

It’s the dreaded donut corner. Two donut dealers directly across from one another. One a gas station (probably my favorite), and the other a small-town donut shop. Would I drive by or instead tell myself, “I deserve this today, just this one time, I’ll grab some for the kids too (I’m such a good mom).”

That depends.

You might think it depended on things like: was I tired, emotional, sad, depressed, irritated, overwhelmed or was I happy, did I feel like celebrating? For years I thought those were the determining factors of my choices, but they were not. They were certainly strong elements, but not the ultimate influencer of my decision to either pull in or keep driving.

Insert your story. Is it a fast-food place, coffee shop, or maybe the fancy new gas station /convenience store with your favorite treats? You consider stopping each time you drive by. You go through the list of reasons to stop and the opposing list of reasons to keep driving. Like an imaginary old-fashioned scale in our head, you consider each argument tipping side to side, which one will win?

I did this for years. Spoiler alert, once the debate began, the side that wanted to pull-in usually won. I was powerless against the force of my own persuasion to do what would feel good in the moment.

Have you been there?

So how did I stop this cycle?

I had to decide ahead of time, these decisions can’t be made in the moment. This started with a promise to myself and my health. I made a commitment based on all my reasons for this journey and then made decisions based on that commitment before I ever put my foot on the gas. I would not waiver, I would keep driving and each time I passed those places I got a little bit stronger in my resolve to hold fast and choose my health over my body’s screaming desires. My emotions and cravings didn’t get a say in the matter. There was no more weighing the options on some imaginary scale. The ultimate influencer of my decision to drive by was the commitment I made to myself, my health, and my God.

Commitment is a powerful tool; it becomes the foundation to the choices you will make. You can do this. You can make a commitment today. Start with just one. What is one commitment you can make that will help you make decisions (ahead of time) on your journey to becoming the woman God created you to be?

What will you drive by today?

I promise you’ll be so happy you did.

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. – Joshua 1:9