Getting back into the workout routine wasn’t as difficult as I thought…

My muscles are a little sore today. On a long road trip for more than eight weeks, there’s little time to work out in the gym–or even take one of our brisk early morning three mile walks. There’s a lot of sitting when driving 9500 miles! But I must say, getting back in to the workout routine wasn’t as difficult as I’d thought. You see, I’ve been working out for a long time now. It wasn’t that easy at first. When I first began going to the gym, early in the morning before work, I didn’t want to get up before anyone else in my household. I was sore at first. Finally, after a few weeks, I discovered I wasn’t as sore. It still wasn’t easy getting up before the sun. I was still tempted to skip my workout routine. But I kept at it and now, it’s a habit ingrained in me.

I’m still in the habit of doing some kind of physical exercise…

Now that I don’t to go to a job every morning, I don’t have to get up so early. But I’m still in the habit of doing some kind of physical exercise. It might be taking a brisk walk, going to a step class, or going on a hike.

 

One of my granddaughters competing at the pool. She’s fast!

God got my attention…

It was more than forty years ago when I started another habit. I grew up in a Christian home where we read the Bible regularly, prayed together as a family, and at night before going to sleep. Somehow the busyness  of being married, going to school, going to work, having a child, took their toll on any habit I’d had of reading the Bible regularly. But when my second baby was born, God got my attention. My baby wasn’t breathing when she entered that cold delivery room. And didn’t breathe for some time. Finally, she did take a breath, but the medical staff still didn’t know what was wrong with her. I realized I needed to pray. Though I was rusty at reading the Bible and praying, it didn’t take long to flex those spiritual muscles again. Wonderful medical staff and lots of tests revealed what was wrong with my baby girl. And though she stayed in the hospital one extra day, she was all right and she joined our family. We were grateful.

I began my spiritual journey..

That experience reminded me I needed to get back in touch with the Giver of Life. Not just when there was an emergency, but as a daily workout. So way back in 1973, I began my journey in reading Scripture and studying God’s word on a daily basis–not just on Sundays. What a difference that made in my life. I was more secure as a wife, mother, and most importantly, a child of my Heavenly Father.

I’m glad I had some spiritual muscles under my belt..

My life was not without its sorrows and concerns. Four years later, we lost a baby six weeks before her birth. I’m glad I had some spiritual muscles under my belt. It was hard–but I wasn’t alone. There were some more difficult years in living out marriage vows. Our relationship went through some struggles in the middle years of a forty year marriage. Some of those years were more difficult even than death. Working on a relationship isn’t easy, but it’s worth it. I’m glad I had the spiritual muscle memory during those hard times. The habit of getting up early to read the Bible and pray made all the difference in my life in facing our dysfunctional marriage. We worked out our difficulties and people who didn’t know us earlier would have never guessed we’d had problems.  Later, I needed that muscle power to face my husband’s severe illness and ultimate death. It wasn’t easy, but it was easier with that spiritual power I had under my belt.

I need both the spiritual and physical….

I still have the habit of flexing my spiritual muscles before working on the physical muscles. I need both the spiritual and physical. I know I’ll be better off, because of that regular studying of Scripture and talking to God moment by moment is the key. I’m reminded of a passage in the Bible I memorized a long time ago:

 

Bodily fitness has a certain value, but spiritual fitness is essential both for this present life and for the life to come. There is no doubt about this at all, and Christians should remember it. It is because we realise the paramount importance of the spiritual that we labour and struggle. We place our whole confidence in the living God, the saviour of all men, and particularly of those who believe in him…. I Timothy 4:8-10

Spiritual is of paramount importance…

I’m so glad I started that habit so long ago of flexing my spiritual muscles. I’m glad I’ve done the physical too. But as the verses above say, the spiritual is of paramount importance. Will you join me in flexing your spiritual muscles?

I love this photo of my grandson, who also runs cross country in college. I pray he continues both the spiritual and physical.

Run to Him. He’s there, waiting for you!