Getting Fit

The last few years have not been the best for me in physical fitness area.  It has been a real challenge to maintain my weight which was creeping steadily upward.  Age, hormones, stress, life are not working in my favor.  I determined that if I truly wanted to be effective on the mission field I need to return to a healthier lifestyle.  My chosen start date (why must there be a start date to healthier living?) was the Monday following Easter.  I fully intended to enjoy Easter meal and dessert.  April 2 arrived and I began my journey.

I once lost quite of excess weight, kept it off for quite a few years.  But April 2nd found me in need of relearning how to eat correct proportions and nutrients as well as revving up my activity level.  Walking is my exercise of choice.  I enjoy the pace, I have neighbors that I walk with many days a week, and it is easy on my joints.  Unfortunately, I was rear ended the day before my 18th birthday and suffered severe whiplash.  For my entire adult life, I have been recovering from this injury.  I have tried jogging in the past but this was too much for my body, in fact my chiropractor told me to stop running.

As I approached this endevour in weight loss and healthy eating, I figured I was going to need to try to do more than walking.  I am not as young as I once was and losing weight is not as easy as I want it to be.  Additionally, my youngest daughter expressed a desire to run in 5K fun run races.  I figured if I was going to take her to these 5K events it would be silly for me to stand on the sidelines watching.  I again attempted jogging.  I bought new shoes for running and set a goal of running 2 to 3 times a week.  I started out slow using a couch to running type program.  On days I did not run, I walked.  On days it was a blizzard I played Dance Dance on the Wii.  Before April ended I ran in my first 5K race.  I ran the entire distance!  I was also down a few pounds.   You cannot understand my excitement and pleasure in this accomplishment.  I did not think I was ever going to be able to run.

I am running, I am still in shock.  I have now completed 5 fun runs.  My back and neck feel great.  My knees, well they are complaining somewhat.  I bought new shoes, again, that brought my knees some relief.

As I have been running, God has shown me much.  He has provided cheerleaders when I have needed them, a jazzy song in my headset when I told Him I just didn't think I could run another step.  Through analogies in running He taught me that I need not be concerned with winning races.  I need to be concerned with running the race, not giving up, running my own pace.  If I try to keep up to another's standard of pace or distance, I will likely fail.  This is true in my spiritual life too.  I need to run the race, following His call on my life, not the call of another's life.  Following a person will likely lead to failure, I need to follow Him!

I learned to keep my eyes focused on small goals, such as the next mail box or the stop sign rather than focusing on the fact I have 2 more miles to the end.  This again translated in my spiritual life.  God often tells me only the next step.  He knows that if I am shown the big picture I will be overwhelmed and give up before reaching the goal.

I love how God talks to me.  And I am so excited that He has healed me to allow me to run, albeit slowly, but I am running.

Now that I am down a few pounds and my lungs have been tuned up with aerobic exercise I am more confident in handling the thin air of the Andes Mountains.  Once again, God gave me what I needed when I needed it.  This time it is the ability to run.