Spiritual Exercise

After reading a a friend's comment on the last post I realized that I am receiving a lot of my "grain from heaven" during moments I choose to exercise. To read my blog as an outsider it would sound like I am totally fit and adore exercise. This is not true. I was an athlete in school and relied on that physical training along with a high metabolism to keep me in shape. Since then I dabbled in exercise. I would start this program or that and be faithful for a few weeks then think, "Hey, I look good enough. Why push myself?" It wasn't until this past spring that I really woke up to why I need to take care and myself. Upon the prompting of a friend from school I joined a spin class. This proved to be a horrible experience. I could not do it. Not, I was lazy and did not want to do it, I just simply could not do it. After about 10 turns of the bike I was light-headed and totally out of breath. I ended up turning the tension in my bike all the way down and just pedaling the rest of the class. My friend, who is almost 15 years older than me, offered to sit with me after class and was worried about me driving home. I was so embarrassed. It was then that I decided to get fit. Not out of vanity this time, but for my health.

Two things have occured beginning this quest. Of course, I feel better and stronger, and know that I am at least trying to do something each day toward my health, but I also had an unexpected benefit. Exercise has brought me closer to God. It was not long after I started doing some sort of physical activity each day that I started this blog. It is in those quiet times of exercise that I feel close to God, and he speaks to me the most. Just the other night I went on a late evening walk in our neighborhood and saw the beautiful sky as the sun was setting. I looked around at our sweet neighbors' houses, Haden happily playing in the front yard with friends, and thought about how different my life is now than about 10 years ago when I never thought it was in the plan for me to be this happy.

Also, as I have written in early posts, exercise has also made me realize that if I work on my physical body daily so should I work on my spiritual body. I am no where near where I need to be physcially or spiritually, but I am trying and feeling good.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20
"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body."