MAN IN THE MIRROR

365 Days of Thanksliving — Day 229

It’s been a hot minute, but Friday Night Date Night returned tonight. Of course, we didn’t do anything out of the ordinary. We drove to New Ulm, grabbed a bite at our favorite joint, strolled through Walmart (because what else do you do when you’re from a town of 350?), and then grabbed dessert at New Ulm’s best ice-cream shoppe.

Being hotter than the surface of the sun out there—okay, not really, but I gotta be a bit snarky—I decided to put on a nicer shirt before we left. Feeling a bit sloppy, I donned the snazzy Hawaiian shirt my daughter bought me for her wedding. It’s comfortable, keeps me cool, and hey, it fits the temps outside.

When she bought it for me, it was a little tight. Then I went on a diet, lost a bunch of weight, and it fit just right. But since then, I’ve caused my body to yo-yo like there’s no tomorrow, and I once again find myself on the HEFTY HEFT HEFTY side of things.

Gabriel Iglesias (aka Fluffy) might call me “husky,” and I can't argue with that.

Well, tonight on our drive, my shirt just felt… snug. I kept pulling and stretching it, trying to get it right. Dani—bless her heart—suggested we might need to get me a bigger one. I replied that no, I needed to shrink my body. She retorted that maybe we should do both.

Anywho, I felt uncomfortable and unkempt all night. But I wasn't about to strip down right there in public, because that’d be deeply disturbing on too many levels. So, I just dealt with it. But then….

Just as we were walking down the sidewalk, I caught my reflection in the glass of an adjacent storefront. What I saw made me feel ashamed of what I’ve allowed myself to become yet again. It also triggered a memory of a dream. Let me take you way, way back.

I had this dreamlike vision sometime within the last 20 years. I think it was a dream and not a vision. IDK, you decide.

I was pulled up to heaven and shown my residence within the New Jerusalem. The city was Capital G GORGEOUS, shining with golden light. My place was an apartment in a super-tall, spire-like tower near the heart of the city. I remember looking out the window in absolute awe. But the crux of the dream was what happened next.

There with me was an angelic figure; and before me stood a large, old-fashioned mirror made of elaborate wood and glass on a swiveling pedestal. In the glass, I saw two images of myself at my current age: one healthy and nicely built, and the other exactly as I am now. The Elohim being accompanying me simply said: “Choose!” Then I woke up.

Tonight, as I strolled by that storefront window, the dream flashed back. Odd as it sounds, I’m grateful, because I desperately needed that visual wake-up call again.

I’m not gonna lie. My motivation to get going on something like Keto or Ketovore again hasn’t been the highest. I’m a sugar and carb addict, and a foodie through and through. Yet, if I don’t make a change, I’ll have made a choice.

I need to choose the healthier man in the mirror, and honestly, I might need some help. Tonight, I’m thankful for the millionth reminder that I need to choose better. I hope that view from Heaven is mine someday, but I don’t wanna get there prematurely just because I chose the fluffy way.

What are you thankful for today?