DAY TWENTY-TWO / #fortydayfloodoflove
Yesterday I started to write a post about weight, self image, and health.. but I just couldn’t do it.
Fitness on the world race hasn’t really happened for me.
My body is one of the biggest sacrifices I have made this year.
This is the first time in my life that I could feel – and see – my body changing.
I would do it a million times over if I ever got the chance. It’s been an easy choice to make, a no brainer really, but nonetheless a hard reality to live.
For many reasons, missionaries lose a lot of control in life.
Budgets, cultures, living situations, disease.
The list goes on and on.
“..but whoever loses their life for me will find it.” Matthew 16:25
Although I have lost an aspect of my physical body this year, I gained abundant life.
But just because I can joyfully eat the extra rice I am served by locals, that doesn’t mean that I shouldn’t fight for my physical body.
“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price….” 1 Cor 6:19-10
Coincidently, this passage was part of my Bible study this morning. I wasn’t looking for it, but I think it is applicable. Sure, the main message that Paul is communicating with this verse is not a matter of fitness (He’s talking about sexual immorality here). But if we consider our bodies a temple of God…wouldn’t we want to take care of them? And doesn’t that extend to the nutrients we give it and the time we spend to strengthen it?
Lord willing, we have the privilege to.
This month I have been privileged to it.
Recently I wrote a blog that adresses God answering prayers and providing in miraculous ways. (read it here)
In the blog I talk about praying for a gym this month, and getting one!!!! We also got an ocean-view jogging path.
Needless to say…my running shoes have seen some sunlight lately.
I’ve found my best “Jesus” time while exercising this month and it has really filled me up. That’s the difference between hitting the gym (or going on a run) for vanity versus working out with a mindset of praise.
One mindset will exhaust you and the other will energize you.
I have fallen on the “praising” side lately but that’s probably by God’s grace alone… I haven’t had much of a choice if I’m being honest.
You see, I’m not a doctor but my body has been significantly weaker after my bout with Malaria (read about that here) , and we haven’t exactly had abundant nutrition this year. So seeing that I am prone to exhaustion nowadays, I haven’t been able to workout unless the Lord has really been my strength.
For that reason alone I knew I wanted to write this blog, to praise the Lord for regained strength.
But I haven’t been able to. I tried writing it yesterday but I just couldn’t formulate my thoughts.
That is… until my workout today…
It started pretty normal.
I jumped on the treadmill and began warming up. I planned to run until God and I were done chatting.
But the longer I went, the better I felt. And for some reason my shuffle was providing the best music.
Somewhere around .5 mile in, I upped the pace.
That was still too easy.
I upped the pace again.
Then I had the craziest thought…
“I should try to run a mile in 5 minutes this month”
*Running a five minute mile was on my bucket list, and I had recently decided to set it as a fitness goal of mine for 2018.*
Let me just say running a five minute mile is not something I have ever been able to causally do.
Well then, an even crazier thought came to mind.
“why don’t I just run it today?”
At this point I had already ran over 2 miles… and I felt kind of like puking.
(Probably because I ate some chocolate right before I went to the gym.
Seriously.
This thing wasn’t planned.)
But then…. the song “God of Miracles” came on my shuffle and I thought..hmmm thats kinda funny..looked at the screen… and low and behold the song is just over five minutes long.
Ironic or “only God”. Whatever you wanna call it, I decided to run the mile anyways.
About halfway through I start waving my arms like a madwoman trying to catch the attention of my friend Dara who was in the gym with me.
I finally flagged her down and, through charades, communicated what was happening. (we’ve gotten pretty good at charades after living in 11 foreign countries).
The conversation went something like this:
*frantically points at time, frantically points at distance.* = I’m running a 5 minute mile
*crosses fingers, waves arms, points to self* = Do NOT let me quit
*Shows song playing “God of Miracles”* = God led me to this point, it’s a miracle if I finish.
*stuff earbuds into ears even harder* = sorry I can’t talk. PLZ HELP. CANT LOSE CONCENTRATION.
I hope that made you laugh.
It was even funnier in person.
Dara was great, and God knew I would need a cheerleader. I finished the mile in five minutes (well, five minutes and some odd seconds technically), and she even made me run one minute longer..just to show me that I could do it. It was the perfect ending to my unexpected challenge.
But God wasn’t done.
I wasn’t even tired after the run!
So I finished my post-run workout… and from where I sat during my arm workouts I had a clear view of the basketball court.
There were 5 young Muslim girls playing.
Dara and I finished our workouts and got to join them on the basketball courts.
Today I got another glimpse of what God’s love and energy is like….. it never runs out!
That’s what this post is supposed to be all about. It isn’t my weakness, but His strength that I can boast in.
“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” 2 Cor 12:9
I took the selfie today after running a five minute mile, which was practically a miracle.
And that was just the beginning of my workout, not the end.
Just when I thought I was done, God had more in store.
His Glory supersedes our expectations, and our “goals” fall short of His splendor. He’s always waiting to show us just how much more He has in store for us.
We just have to be ready to start running with our eyes set on Him.
“.. and let us run with endurance the race that was set before us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecto of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.…” Hebrews 12:1
