Are You Discouraged About Your Body, Too? Here’s How the Darkness Can Help
- Maggie Wallem Rowe
- Jan 14
- 4 min read
(Special note: Like you, I am heartsick about the devastation caused by the wildfires raging in the Los Angeles area this past week. Angelenos are as much in need of prayer and assistance as Appalachians and Floridians were after September’s hurricane. If you live in southern California or have friends there, we see you and we’re crying out to God for you and those you love.)
Hello darkness, my old friend,
I’m come to talk with you again.
Are you old enough to remember Simon & Garfunkel’s hit song from the 60’s, “The Sound of Silence?”
I was only 10 when Paul Simon wrote those iconic lyrics, and I don’t understand them any more now than I did 60 years ago.
Darkness has never been my old friend.
I resist getting up until the sun does, and this time of year it’s dark well before time to fix supper. In my 30’s and 40’s I had exhausting bouts with SAD—Seasonal Affective Disorder—until I discovered full spectrum lighting (“happy lights.”)
When I introduced this new eight-week series last week, nearly a hundred of you responded with “I’m in!,” telling me I’m not alone when it comes to dreading dark times.
(Total aside: Apologies to those of you who did not receive last week’s letter OR got it two or three times!
To my dismay, I discovered my web server has instituted a new quota, and they were only emailing a fraction of you each week. Credit card to the rescue— I’ve upgraded the service!)
My husband, Mike, has always been more disciplined than I am when it comes to physical activity.
A former All-American swimmer, Mike has faithfully headed to the Y or a local rec center pre-dawn several times weekly to work out in the pool, and he’s kept that up for the nearly 49 years we’ve been married.
Fat chance (no pun intended) of that happening with me. My preferred activity is walking through the pages of a book, and my favorite machine at the gym is the shiny glass one that dispenses Snickers.
But here’s the word that grabbed me by the eyeballs when I spotted it in my medical records after my annual physical last year: “OVERWEIGHT.”
I knew I’ve been carrying too many extra pounds, of course, but seeing that descriptor in print is another thing. My doctor didn’t scold, shame, or lecture me.
He simply spoke truth.
So how in tarnation can the winter darkness help those of us who are, shall we say, enthusiastic eaters, horizontally challenged, well upholstered?
Maybe it depends on what motivates us.
I don’t mind spending money when necessary, but wasting it is another thing. So I’ve signed up for our local rec center, too. Since I don’t want to waste time and gas with multiple 30-minute roundtrips, I need to go when Mike does, in the pre-dawn hours, rising in the darkness I’ve always disliked.
Two years ago, I set “7 Goals for 70,” one of which was to drop the extra cargo. I failed. I had the same goal when I turned 71. I failed.
But there is always a beginning again.
"For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?" Isaiah 43:19
If you’ve been discouraged as well about your fitness level, I’ll share links to a couple resources at the end of this letter that have inspired me.
But here’s what I want to leave with you.
As this year begins, I know some of you are fighting far bigger battles than weight loss. I’m praying for you as you’re undergoing chemo, engaging in caregiving, or keeping a wary eye on those horrific wildfires in southern California.
And for others of us who know our health would benefit from weight loss, let’s focus on what we have to gain instead. As I’ve been cutting down on my sugar intake, I’ve noticed that my chronic headaches have lessened, and I don’t need that mid-afternoon nap.
I’m writing you this week from Round Top, Texas, where I’m attending an annual wellness week sponsored by First Place for Health. I’ve been in a FP4H Bible study online for the past five years, and the emphasis on care for the whole person —body, soul, mind, and spirit— is one I want to keep for the rest of my life.
My Bible study leader, Vicki Heath, who served 11 years as National Director for First Place, explains what we need to gain to help us lose: space in our schedules, self-discipline and strength, forgiveness for past failures, the vision to see what we can be if consistent.
I’ve needed to gain an appreciation for physical darkness—getting up before dawn to trek to the fitness center.
But spiritual darkness breeds deception, and deception leads to lies.
“I’ll never lose this extra weight!” or, “I’ve failed so many times before—why should I think I'll succeed now?”
Did you know that it takes hours, not minutes, for your eyes to fully adjust to physical darkness? Next week we’ll dive into the implications this has for the situations many of you are facing. Take courage—it’s only in the dark that you see the stars.
"While it's true that only light can drive out darkness, there are some forms of light that only darkness can reveal." Leigh Ann Henion
Now it’s your turn! If you’ve been frustrated with the challenge of maintaining your weight as you age, leave a comment simply saying, “Me, too!” And if you have a tip to share that’s helped you, we’d love to hear it. I’ve linked some resources below.
Press on, friends – there are gifts to be found in the darkness!
So much love,
Maggie
Helen’s Story: https://www.firstplaceforhealth.com/helen-baratta/
First Place Podcast/ Videocast with great health tips: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDcw0gnPRj0
“Need to Lose? Focus on the Gain” https://speakupconference.com/need-to-lose-focus-on-the-gain/