Get in Shape, Girl!!!

Do you all remember that commercial for the ribbon exercise kit? Please tell me someone had that exercise video...take me back to the 80's!

So I was talking with some friends about exercising. We were basically bashing exercise because it takes so long to get into shape, like weeks. But then, unfortunately, it takes one or two times off to get out of shape. This is the main reason why I find myself loathing exercise. So I get on the bitter bus and talk about how hard it is and come up with excuses why I don't.

A light bulb came on today as I was thinking about this. I realized, huh, my relationship with God is a lot like my relationship with exercising. I need Him to keep healthy, but I don't just need Him in doses, I need to spend time with Him regularly. That's the only way I can "stay in shape" spiritually.

For so many years I've lived my spiritual life in a "if only..." syndrome. I thought, if only I could get to that certain point when I would be so spiritual I wouldn't really need God or life would just be easier. Just like my "if only I could get to that certain size, then I could stop exercising" syndrome. Well, friends, the deeper I get in my relationship with God the more I realize my need for Him. Just like, the older my body gets, the more attention I have to give to it!

I'm realizing that these two things require a lifestyle change. I don't want my motivation for exercising to be that I fit into those pre-third-baby pants. I want to take care of the vessel that God blessed me with, to honor Him. And I don't want my spiritual life to be a chore either. I long for a deeper sense of who I am as God's child, what does that mean? I want to desire spending time with Him. I think if I truly believed in how much He loves me, I would spend time with Him and wouldn't be able to get enough of Him. No one in this world loves me and understands me as much as He does, so why don't I give Him the time of day?

When I talk about "spiritual exercise" I simply mean spending time with Him. It means exercising the truths and promises of God in order to rid our minds of the lies we live under. This will leave room for relationship with Him. That is what we need and it is what He longs for, that's why He created us. We would be so much healthier if we truly grasped this concept and put it into action. Lord, please help me to change my lifestyle to include spending time taking care of my spirit, as well as my physical body. Thank you that you long to spend time with me. Help me to believe that!

Something About Mary...

I have been thinking about writing this post since last March. I was on a Women's Retreat with my church. The speaker talked about the Samaritan woman at the well who met Jesus. The speaker shared her own story which turned out to be a traumatic childhood shadowed with abuse, followed by an abusive marriage. Her testimony was incredible, as well as many others that were shared that weekend. It was so great to see the freedom and hope they've found in Christ through their broken and shaded past.

Even after hearing testimony of God's transforming these lives, I couldn't help but feel like my testimony was drab. I was born into this world with a conscience the size of Texas. I remember agonizing over things that I thought I had done wrong, when I was little. I would not have even gotten in trouble for them. I barely got any spankings. I was always the goody-goody. I was the teacher's pet and probably a dorm parents dream. I heard about God all day, every day for most of my life.

I was the same all the way through high school, even. I never partied, I've never been drunk, never used drugs, only smoked a cigarillo one time (I even felt guilty about that!). I went to a club one time--that was enough for me. I waited until I was 21 to have any alcohol and I remained a virgin until I was married. I'm not saying all of this to boast, except of course in Christ. He's the only reason that I was able to be this way because I did submit to Him early in life. I was fortunate to never have been abused or have any major traumatic experiences either.

I am in no way complaining about my good life. But I do remember early on wondering what was so special about my testimony. No one cries when I share it because it's not dramatic. I'm not dramatic...

So at this retreat I'm feeling self conscious, like I have nothing to bring to the discussion. But the Lord gently reminded me of sweet Mary, mother of Jesus. She seemed rather plain and boring. She was a virgin, as well. I imagine that she never really "rocked the boat," whatever that would mean for those times. But God chose her to carry and birth the Savior of the World, the One I believe in. She wasn't "plain old Mary" after that! God used her sweet life to show His love to this whole world. She was open to it and believed in God's purpose for her life.

When I think about her life I am so encouraged. Everyone should be. God worked through "good" Mary and He also worked through prostitutes and sleazy tax collectors. No matter what your testimony is, God has a purpose for you and can use your testimony to attest to His faithfulness and love in your life. He does not want us to be so ashamed of our past that we don't want to share our testimony, but He also doesn't want us to be embarrassed by our lack of story. We all have a story and His fingerprints are all over it. And...our testimony is on-going, it didn't end when we received Christ into our lives, it started there.