Although I had noticed the lovely, blonde-haired young woman before, now I saw another person in front of me. Her face was pale—almost ashen; her eyes sunken back into her head. Her once blonde, curly head of hair now resembled a patch of dried straw.

It all came back to me as I prayed with her at the altar. The disease she was suffering with once almost took my life as a young fifteen year old.

I wanted to be popular, like all teenage girls. I wanted boys to date me and think of me as the cute “cheerleader” type. I was tired of not being able to buy attractive clothes or go swimming with my friends, and so I began my slow death through starvation; known today as anorexia nervosa.

What started as a plan to lose weight, almost four and a half months later, could have easily destroyed me. My 166 pound frame on a five foot four inch body dwindled to eighty-eight pounds of thin, emaciated flesh. I survived on lettuce, water, unsweetened tea, and carrots.

Where were my parents? They were there every day pleading with me to eat. I know now that their prayers saved me from dying. My hair and fingernails fell out. My joints ached from lack of nourishment. All normal functions stopped! But still, the enemy (satan) had convinced me that I was still too fat! What deception! He is such a liar!

Finally, my parents could stand it no more and took me to the doctor. I can still see Dr. Sara Abbott walking in that room—a round faced, serious woman, with her stethoscope swaying from her neck. She took one look at me and told me that my body was feeding on itself and I could die if I continued to stay on this plan of starvation. She then began to rail off her decision to put me in the hospital and stick needles and tubes in me everywhere. She had my attention!

I believe God sent us to her beause it was the breakthrough my parents prayed for. She insisted I gain back one pound a week until I reached a healthy weight. This was not easy and it took three years for me to reach one hundred and twenty pounds.

I have shared this, not so pleasant part of my past, because the Holy Spirit told me to. Maybe there is a brother or sister struggling today with other addictions—it could be food, alcohol, cigarettes, soap operas, R-rated movies, gossip—you name it! Satan wants to keep you there, keep you blind, and destroy your life with it.

Remember, you have the victory in Christ Jesus to be an overcomer! Claim that, walk in that, live in that victory everyday. After all—you are His sweet and precious child...His lovely diamond in the rough!

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn't make decisions the way you do! People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at a person's thoughts and intentions.” 1 Samuel 16:7