Everyone has that one defining moment. You know, the one that makes you reevaluate everything that you have been doing, the one that takes all of your good intentions and lines them up in front of you to let you see how many you have pushed aside for a later time. When the reality hits you, that “later” has already passed. You wake up and ten years have passed by and you are still going to get around to it. Yeah Right.
My moment was about five years ago. I experienced a whole lifestyle change on my horizon unbeknownst to me.
My husband accepted a job in Atlanta. No questions asked we followed him, which would be one of the best decisions that I had ever made in my life and in the lives of our three children. We were faithful to the little things in New England. We were going big time in Atlanta with a blind leap of faith and we were scared but excited. We left behind a huge support system, all of our family and friends, and all of the comforts of knowing that no matter what came our way we had people to call on for help.
We found a great house right down the street from a fantastic, Holy Ghost filled church. It was a new type of religion for us; we came from a very conservative background. We were immediately set on fire and jumped in with both feet. My dreams of the mission field came back with a vengeance, after all World Harvest Church just happens to be a mission’s church! For the next three months, we were at the church every time the doors opened. I volunteered and was eventually put on staff part time. Then it happened, that one defining moment……
We flew home in May of 2008. I was so hopeful about the coming year, mission trips and just growing in the Word. I sat down in my seat, and, then, it all came crashing down on me. As I reached for the seatbelt, I realized that it was too small. I adjusted the strap, still too small. Then the Lord spoke to me and said “It’s not too small; you are too big. How can you do all of the things I have planned for your life if you can’t even sit on an airplane? How are you going to walk the mission field if you can’t even climb the stairs without getting winded?”
Okay, so now what Lord? You move me 1400 miles away from my family and my support system to tell me I am severely over weight and would be useless on a mission’s trip? I was devastated for about 30 minutes; that’s how amazing our God is. He played with Satan for a mere half an hour like a cat playing with a half dead mouse, letting him think he had a chance of winning me. That I would be so crushed and overwhelmed that I would just give up and hit the nearest all you can eat buffet. I think not!
God ministered to me in a way I never thought possible. I did not need a support system. I had God, but it took Him moving me away from everyone that I depended on to realize that I needed to depend on Him. He is my source– all that I would ever need. Over the next few months, I devoured His Word. I spent hours a day reading the Bible. I started dropping weight. My empty space was being filled with Him. I no longer turned to food when I was struggling. I no longer had a void to fill.
God’s timing was amazing. The same year that He told me I needed to get fit and get my weight under control, He also put it on the Buckelews’ heart, a young couple in love with God and running, to run a 5k for youth missions. We signed up for the 5k. All the while Satan kept saying, “You are kidding yourself. You only run after the ice cream man.” He was right, but that was the old me– the me that never turned to God first. Sorry Satan, not this time. The passion for running that the Buckelews had rubbed off on me and my husband. Next thing I knew we were running the Big Pumpkin 5k, then we signed up for the ING Half Marathon, and for fun, we would run 5k’s on the weekends!
Eighty-five pounds lost, I am down 10 sizes from a year ago. I feel ten years younger and have more energy, but that is all just a big bonus. The real prize happened in February when a friend of mine asked me to go to South Africa to help her set up a pre-school. I immediately said yes. My mind flashed back to the year prior and the seatbelt incident. I was amazed at what God had done in my life in one short year. I don’t remember struggling over the year; I don’t remember dieting. All I remembered was running and thanking God. I remembered my first 10th of a mile that I ever ran. I remembered my first full mile, how when I crossed the line, I just began weeping, all by myself in the park just weeping, having trouble seeing through the tears. But as others ran by me, I would shout “I just ran my first mile! I only used to run after the ice cream man, praise God”!
The trip to Africa was a great success. It was a comfortable plane ride, and we worked from morning until night, all the while full of energy and not wanting to stop. In two days, we set up an entire pre-school and had the privilege of watching the children go to school on Monday morning to a brand new beginning, a beginning of hope, a hope for a brighter future that I had the honor to be a part of.
The plane ride home was even longer but it was okay. As we flew over Africa I counted my blessings. I thanked God for the changes He put me through over the past year, how my entire family was eating better and getting healthy, how he has given me the chance to witness to so many people when they asked a simple question like” how much weight have you lost?” I bet they never expected the testimony that followed, all for Gods glory.
Tracy Ouellette
Born and raised in Massachusetts, Tracy Ouellette is a full-time Medical Assistant Student and Executive Director of High Hope Community Development Corporation in Roswell, Georgia. She is a mother of three and has been married for 22 years.
