Extremes

Tonight my six-year-old-daughter asked me, "Daddy, for your birthday do you want a diet or do you want to stay in bed and eat cheesecake?" I couldn't help but laugh as this sweet, smiling angel posed such an out-of-the-blue question.

The reality, however, is that her question served to remind me of the extremes by which I live my life.

For some people, falling into bad habits is something that happens slowly and subtly. Not me. When I fall, I fall hard--- and crash!

Strangely, I always seem to get back up again and resume my pre-crash mode of living.

Two examples:

Number One: I'm a very healthy eater, and I exercise almost every day. But every so often when I get a craving for some rest and a treat, I don't simply go slower than usual on the treadmill and then eat a cookie. No, I eat a pizza, drink a liter of coke, and follow it up with a bowl of ice-cream and seven evenings of sitting on the couch watching TV. Then I top it all off with a touch of hating myself for a day or two. When the stomach aches and self-loathing subside, I'm back to lifting weights, running three miles a day, and eating nothing but spinach, walnuts, and organic quinoa for 6 months.

Number Two: I go long periods of time getting along with everyone I know and feeling joyful just to be alive. And then one random person I don't even know very well criticizes me and immediately my emotional armor disappears, leading me to spend the next 7 days stewing and thinking of ways I can criticize them in return. When that's over, I hang out with and hug that person while we laugh and drink coffee, which they generously bought for me.

Billy Joel sang, "Darlin' I don't know why I go to extremes". I don't know either, but I'm thankful my family and my church love me the same either way. I now know that the reason I'm always able to resume my pre-crash mode of life after my extreme crashes is not because of any ability I possess within myself, but because I'm surrounded by people whose grace for me is extreme.