My life seemed normal until I fell victim to a destructive pathology that compromised my health. What had initially been regarded as disordered eating had become a full blown eating disorder. I suffered for months from anorexia nervosa, and after a while, I began to gradually wither away into a torrid state. I refused to eat, could not sleep, and became a miserable person to be around. It felt as if the joy, light, and laughter that had once colored in my life had been snatched away from me by a terrible predator. Prior to my eating disorder, I had led a relatively normal and peaceful life. I was born into a warm and loving family, treated to the best education that could be provided, and afforded myriad creative outlets and opportunities to explore, dream, and discover. Growing up, I struggled a bit with issues concerning my weight and sometimes encountered others’ ridicule. As I grew older, I became obsessed with losing weight and achieving an ideal body image. Complications from the eating disorder that I developed were further exacerbated when I was introduced to hard drugs. My normal life was completely overturned by my drug addiction to cocaine. It was not long before I became completely overwhelmed and rendered powerless to do anything to overcome my afflictions.
I discovered hope and help in Jesus when I began reading troves of poetry, classic literature, and even passages from the Holy Bible. The words that I came across were so beautifully strung together that they had the power to rearrange the disjointed and cacophonous assembly of energies that were at war within me. Words like that of the mystic Sufi poet, Rumi, soothed my soul and restored me to a life that was pure and unadulterated by toxicity. In Rumi’s words, “At every instant and from every side, resounds the call of Love” awakened me to the reality that Christ and God call to each soul individually, at the right moment, and from every direction. These words altered my state of consciousness and shifted my condition from being one of pain, angst, and anxiety to one of hope, recovery, and renewed faith. I also found comfort in Psalm 23 from the Bible, which reads, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me” (Psalm 23 KJV). I read Jesus Christ’s teachings in the Gospels and took pride in my ability to resolve the clever riddles with which he spoke to those he met along his path and in his healing journey. When I read stories of Christ healing the wounded and sick, I imagined myself as the woman who boldly tugged at the fabric of his robe and was immediately healed, simply because she truly believed he was the Son of God. The hope and help that I found in Jesus rescued me from a spiral of destruction and set me squarely on the path of my soul’s highest evolution.
I am glad that I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ today because it has afforded me the wisdom, energy, and resources that are necessary to contribute to Christ’s healing mission. I do not see myself as a spiritual or metaphysical healer, but I know well the power of extending compassion and warmth to others. That selfless action, in and of itself, can produce healing effects which cannot be accurately measured or assessed. My personal relationship with Jesus Christ helped me turn away from the destructive pathologies and addiction which once threatened to cripple my life and stunt my journey towards wholeness and completion. Now, I am free from the grip of the eating disorder I once had, and I maintain a life of purity, sobriety, and optimum health. Were it not for my relationship with Jesus, I would likely be receiving treatment for my eating disorder or still battling a harmful bout with drugs. My relationship with Jesus and his teachings has opened my mind, heart, and spirit to the infinite potentials and possibilities that lie before each of us. It has made me aware of what a gift life is to receive, and what a blessing it is to be able to be alive at this time in humanity’s divine evolution to both witness and partake in God’s plan.
Bibliography
“Psalm 23.” Psalm 23 KJV. BibleGateway, n.d. Web. 15 July 2016. <https:// www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2B23&version=KJV>.
Rumi, J. "Poems by Rumi." Poems by Rumi. Www.khamush.com, 9 May 2004. Web. 15 July 2016. <http://www.khamush.com/poems.html#9>.
