Right now, I am devouring a bag of potato chips. I am alone. My husband is outside, so I can gorge myself in silence, free from judgement. Mmmmm
This is something I do not allow often, in fact I never buy potato chips but it ended up in my house, leftovers from a party. And I am discovering an addiction. Oh. The crunch. The salt. The texture of sweet oil along with the flavors of potato and sour cream. It is a love affair. Addictions can attach themselves to anything. Whether we consider them large or small, whether we consider them at all, they worm their way into our hearts and control our will.
I know that sounds dramatic but that is exactly what an addiction is, something that you can not stop without accountability from the outside.
It controls your will and your decisions. Even though your mind is trying desperately to do what you know is right, your physiological urges win out. That is me and potato chips. And food for many others, is an addiction as well. When I took anatomy, I learned that we are not crazy for being addicted to food. Food actually releases levels of the dopamine hormone into our brains. Especially foods high in carbs make us feel good. It makes us happy. Food can fulfill some of our most desired virtues like comfort and happiness. But like they say “a moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips.” Oh the betrayal of love.
For me it’s this bag of peanut M&Ms. It is anything sweet that happens to be staring at me. But it’s better when I’m addicted to Bible reading.