Amanda (and Anna),
Anna, great post. Scripture yields so much insight into the power of words, and teaches us to handle words like the power-tools that they are.

Amanda, you are so right about words – words hurt. I know for many people ‘sticks and stones’ is definitely not true. As a recovered anorexic and bulimic, I still clearly remember many hurtful things said to me as a child, as a teen and as an adult.

Anna (and Amanda) I’m writing the rest of this to your blog followers. Just wanted you both to know this isn’t directed at either of you specifically!

I finally left behind the ‘mindset’ and behaviors of eating disorder when I truly believed – really took into me and made part of who I am, and everything I do – that the Word God wrote is true for me. Not true for ‘the world,’ but for me.

One of the most insidious things about eating disorder (which is most commonly a symptom of breakdown or dysfunction in important relationships) is that it steals ‘voice,’ the ability to speak your mind without fear of consequence – or to be yourself wherever you are.

It’s so important to get to the point where you can genuinely forgive others for how they have wounded you. When Jesus was dying on the cross, put there by people who had no right to do so, He prayed that God would forgive them, because ‘they’re clueless.’ (That’s not exactly what He said, but in our terms, that’s what He meant!).

People who hurt us with words – and with awful actions – usually have no clue. They have their own wounds, they’re so self-focused they have no idea what they’re doing to others. Jesus asked His followers to rise above that, to see as He sees, to realize that they just desperately need His love and forgiveness, just like we all do.

Whether it’s eating disorder, alcohol abuse, drug abuse, or any other self-medication, you can’t really heal the behaviors without healing what’s underneath them. And for most people that can only be fixed by a God big enough to create a universe.

And then there’s so much more! I spend most of my time now writing and speaking to help people see that God hasn’t saved us and rescued us for a life of nothing; He doesn’t rescue us from eating disorder or other struggles to do nothing. When we take that step to heal, there’s SO much He has planned next. He can make what happened before (ED etc) seem like a totally different life.

Anna, I’m always happy to comment. Blessed to do so, dear friend. If you don’t know me, here’s my website:http://www.catherineboyle.com CSB