Do you exercise? I don’t.
But this morning I dug in and found a workout and 20 minutes later I am done and ready for coffee.
I am 37, have had 3 kids, and my body is tired and stiff. I had a knot under my shoulder blade for days that had been limiting my mobility, and nothing I did was helping. Myofacial release, ibuprofen, stretching, hydration, sleeping flat on my back–it was just tight as could be.
Maybe doing nothing about my body for the past few years has something to do with my achy self? Hmm….
Yesterday at church I had had enough with my shoulder.
After the service we found a few elders and asked for prayer. By the end of the prayer, the tension in my back released and I was no longer aching. Praise the Lord!
Yet by the end of the day, and after playing at the pool with (i.e., carrying) the 17-month-old, I was tight again.
I would love for my back and shoulder to just get better and stay that way.
Yet my lack of fitness is pretty evident, and I know that when I have been disciplined and exercised regularly, my back doesn’t go out, my shoulders don’t get knots, and I’ve been generally better able to handle life.
So, this morning when the baby woke at 6 and went back down (another miracle) I looked up a 20 minute workout on YouTube, and dug out my mat and weights, and got in there. This is probably the first time in six months that I have exercised.
exercising my little part
There’s God’s big part, and my little part.
Sometimes my little part is going in faith for prayer (and who isn’t sometimes embarrassed to ask for prayer?) while God supernaturally intervenes.
Sometimes my little part is being willing to give up some morning time and delay my coffee for 25 minutes, and commit to put in the discipline to take care of this body.
Either way, I have a part to play, and always, God is involved.
This applies to pretty much anything we do when we walk with God. He has the big part to play. We exercise our little step of faith every time:
When we pray human words, and God moves heaven and earth to answer.
We read the Bible, and God transforms our hearts and minds.
Inviting a friend to coffee is small, but God does huge things.
Sending a card that the right time is a little thing, but it can mean the world.
Sharing your story to a handful of friends may be scary or awkward, but God can use it to impart life and hope to the hearers.
We call on Jesus, and God grants us salvation. Deliverance. Acceptance. Peace. He has done the lion’s share of all the work and granted all the provision. We participate by taking faith-filled action.
What we are asked to do is so small–even if it feels so big. And He works out the great effects of grace in our lives every time we work out our salvation.
You can check on me later to see if I’m actually keeping up or if this is a one-time wonder of a workout. But I believe I need to put some discipline back in my routine, especially as we gear up for school starting again soon.