Monday, August 16, 2010

WALK LIKE A MAN


An old high school friend found out he has cancer. Yes...the dreaded C-A-N-C-E-R word. Apparently he was given a choice in treatment and chose surgery. However, his doctor told him to loose, what is it Jimmy, 20 lbs, before surgery? 20 LBS? MAN!!!! For some people...that doesn't seem much....for ME...MUCHO! In fact, for me.....only HALF MUCHO!

Jimmy says he's trying for 42 miles at six miles per day. My average is 3 miles, 5 Xs per week. And believe me...I take off the other two days! But hey...he is a GUY! Why is it that guys can loose weight easier than women? They can cut out just a little food and WHAM! Pounds gone! They walk or bike a little and WHAM! Pounds are gone! They eat SNICKERS for lunch and WHAM! Pounds are gone! They kiss babies and WHAM! Pounds are gone...(well I guess that's a little exaggeration but it seems like it's true.) For us women...we look at a cupcake and WHAM! 25 pounds are ON! We SMELL ice cream (my favorite!) and WHAM! An extra 50 pounds! Do men know how HARD it is for women our age to loose? Add a little medication to our system and WHAM! There you go again.

It seems like weight is one of those constant battles most women over a certain age battle day in and day out. It is a way of life that one must keep in order to retain the standard of weight designed for the size of body she has. At 5'2", my weight goal is much different than that of another women of 5'11" or even 5'5". Yet We women obsess over those pounds. Today's society make us believe we must look like an anorexic 12 year old in order to be acceptable in the world today. I don' t know about you, but my Jimmy and I had dinner with out-of-town friends and their "11 and a HALF" (we HAD to note the HALF age!) year old and I REEEEEEALY don't want to look like THAT again! I've been trying to push those memories out of my mind for YEARS! Yet that is the standard the world is leaning! Are we in the Peter Pan fantasy world?

Yet, the Bible tells us our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. If I think of that, I can REEEEEALY get depressed. How well do I keep this body of mine? Not JUST physically, but mentally and spiritually? I'm working on the physical, but mentally and spiritually must come with more than a physical workout. It takes more time, constant reflection and "walking" with God each day, ALL day.

Keeping a well body is not easy. We are men who love sin. Most people would object that phrase and even take offense. But we do! Sin is FUN! I know...we really don't want to admit it, but we like our own way, we like the mischief, the rebellion, the doing things OUR way, the lack of forgiveness when others are in the wrong and so on and so on. This is the "fun" we revel in and don't want to give it up. Yet it is the very thing that keeps us from having that perfect body, that perfect temple for God. The temple that needs cleaning of the debris and waste that clutters and spoils the temple of God's Holy Spirit.

Today, I am thankful for my alarm clock. Ha! Do you wonder why I am thankful for such a random thing? Well, it gets me up and out at around 6:00 am to walk. I am thankful because I can't do it on my own. I am but a sinner and can do nothing on my own. It helps me make my physical body healthier so the spiritual body may be pleasing and more like the one my Father created for His dwelling. It helps me "get moving" so that I may become a temple of God's holy Spirit, pleasing and more alike in His image, He created me to be. It is the time I am able to praise Him as I build physical strength, and learn as I pray and build spiritual strength.

Are you spending the time today in things that will make you more into His image? Make you a pleasing temple to Him, a pleasing time you can go to praise Him and spend intimate time with Him?

Now, Jimmy S., when you walk, I bet you don't have that wonderful music of praise I have on my iPod Shuffle! I could let you borrow it. Maybe we could walk together...You gonna let a girl beat you?

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