At over 70 years old and carrying too much weight, Sarah* knew she needed to make lifestyle changes, but wasn't thrilled about altering her diet and habits she had grown "comfortable with." Her friend called and encouraged her to join a lifestyle education program. Rather than enrolling right away, she kept saying she would enroll, only to postpone it. The calls continued, and eventually, Sarah started ignoring her friend's calls, knowing exactly what they would be about. Ultimately, she enrolled, motivated more by guilt than excitement.
Sarah enrolled in a 16-day StartANew.me program that included classes and treatments over three weekends and ten weekday evenings. She had her blood drawn at the start and again two weeks later, just before the third weekend. Although Sarah was aware that her cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure were high, she didn't fully grasp how serious the situation was until she reviewed her first lab report!
Sarah prayed that God would bless her decision to enroll and help her make some changes. She truly entered the program with a willing heart, making all the adjustments, including skipping dinners and having beans for breakfast. To her surprise, she wasn't hungry at dinnertime and began feeling better in just a few days. "I can do this!" she thought. She learned many things, like how lifestyle habits change gene expression, turning our genes "on" and "off" in powerful ways. Sarah discovered the benefits of taking a short stroll (about 15 minutes of slow walking) after meals to improve digestion and metabolism, as well as taking a longer walk every day (45 minutes or more). She acquired numerous new skills, such as using a steam bath to enhance health, circulation, and relaxation. (It really helped lower her blood pressure!)
When Sarah received her second lab test results and saw what had happened to her cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure, she was so moved that she had to go out and sit in her car to talk with God and thank Him for the miraculous results. Sarah double-checked the name on the report to ensure it was hers! Everything had dropped into the normal range, including things she hadn't realized were off! She had lost weight. Her blood pressure decreased so significantly that she had to stop taking a medication. Her cholesterol fell from over 100 mg/dL into the "good" range, and her blood sugar also dropped from over 100 mg/dL to below 110 mg/dL. Sarah felt better and more energetic than she had in years. Perhaps the most amazing change was how much closer she felt to God, along with a fresh sense of His goodness toward her personally. "The program has drawn me closer to God and improved my spiritual walk," she says. She is also incredibly grateful to her persistent friend who wouldn't let her off the hook until she enrolled.
As a result of this transformation, a friend was encouraged to take up the challenge as well, and again, reported amazing results.
Call to Action
Jesus is our persistent Friend. He knocks on our hearts and wants to come in and spend time with us each day. I hope you will invite Him in next time He knocks.
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me”
Revelation 3:20
In the next testimony, we’ll learn how Sarah urged a needy friend to enroll and, like her own friend who persisted, she got her needy friend to enroll and make incredible changes with seemingly miraculous results.
*Pseudonym
All scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
