I’ve joined a new CO group—a company so to speak, for CO’s (Compulsive Overeaters) like me. And yes, I'm also an entrepreneur.
CO, in general is an abbreviation for Company, and an M.O. according to Wikipedia, A Modus Operandi (often shortened to M.O. or MO) is someone's habits of working, particularly in the context of business or criminal investigations, but also more generally.
I first heard of the OA 12 Step CO/group in the early 2000’s but I was so busy overeating, over-serving and overworking, I overlooked the testimonial of my overly ambitious and over-eager colleague. That was her problem, not mine.
I said to her, “Okay. Go’n wit’cho bad self!”
Though I was a bit intrigued that she had dropped some weight, while I was still praying, weighing and weighting to exhale.
As more Life happened, I grew in my faith, in my success, and in maturity. And when a horrific tragedy happened, triggering my childhood PTSD from sexual abuse and trauma, I also grew in my CO behaviors.
With the gift of desperation, in 2015 I prayed and asked the God of my mother, the God of my grandmother, the God of Coretta Scott King and the God of Harriet Tubman, to heal me of this dis-ease, and she/he/they led me to the CO called OA, a worldwide self-help organization of people trying to heal their relationships with food and their bodies, as I had been trying, with little success. I first went in 2015 through 2016, and healed a lot! Spiritually, mentally and physically.
However, I did not want to accept the 12-step, non-capitalistic, spiritual CO/group for my MO - my better yet still dis-eased relationship with food. Though my CO of choice (OA) had been around since 1960 and the disease since the Children of Israel hoarded manna from Heaven, I dropped in and out of program over the years.
So many other things I had been doing for my recovery… praying and writing and writing and writing, going to therapy, Refuge, recovery groups and writing, Reclaiming Body Trust and writing, subscribing to Health At Every Size and writing, trying to practice Intuitive Eating and writing, unpacking my own deep hurts and writing, Grateful Moves™ for my body and writing. SO MUCH WORK! And though each of these healing concepts worked to a degree, I still needed more help.
Embracing my Fearfully and Wonderfully Madeness,
I write of what my most significant change is…
Turning my dis-ease with food and my body over to God.
This year 2024 (and the past several years), I did not set a new year resolution. I instead joined our church (and many churches around the world) in a season of 21 days of prayer and consecration. Once again, I asked God to heal me of my imbalances with food. And once again, on January 14, 2024, I was led back to the 12-Step organization, called OA/Overeaters Anonymous. This time, I said yes to God, the CEO of the CO’s for my MO! Joining the ranks of the Strangely Insane, and those still seeking healing, one day at a time from Compulsive Overeating and other addictions.
“The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.”
–Coretta Scott King
Angela Braxton-Johnson ©️ March 22, 2024
Poetically Inspiring Change LLC
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