Day 5: Gym Thoughts

It begins after work one day. You finally decide to make the drive, walk in, take a tour, and see what everyone is talking about. You receive the VIP tour from the marketing representative that proceeds to explain all the luxuries their facility offers. Walking through the place your not sure if it’s the right fit for you. You think of a thousand reasons why this is a waste of money. You are a little intimidated by the questionable steroid user in the main room- asking yourself, “how do muscles get that big?” Then you mosey into the locker room- you are in awe. They have a whirlpool, sauna, steam room, fresh towels, lemon water, flat screen TV’s, and recliners. This place is looking pretty good. You walk upstairs, sit down and sign the dotted line. You are officially a part of a gym. It’s as if you became part of a new club. You make the decision that tomorrow will be the first day you start working out again. You immediately drive to the nearest store to purchase a new outfit to wear. You arrive home and pack your bag for the morning. The routine begins. For weeks, months, or years you attend regularly. At some point you even get a trainer to take you through a program- showing you how to workout and what to eat. You are trying everything to lose the unwanted fat. Perhaps you make some advance, only to gain it back around the holiday time. You take two steps forward, then one step back. You get in a rut. Your body stops changing no matter how many reps you put in, or how many hours you log on the treadmill. Frustration begins to creep up and you begin to dread going. You start to miss a day here and there, until finally you call it quits. The unfortunate thing is that every month they continue to take money out of your bank account, because you promise yourself you will go back.

My pastor always refers to church as a “bad hobby.” He is right. Showing up every Sunday singing, listening to some dude preach, and perhaps writing a fat check is lame. You are missing the whole point of belonging to a church. The same is true with a gym. Perhaps it is because I live in a concrete jungle (Dallas), but today it seems people are determined to spend more and more hours inside a gym. They are determined to lose those unwanted inches and get into shape. They want to make a change. The problem is most are continuing to live the lifestyle they did before- getting little sleep, eating poorly, laughing very little. Health is so much more than aesthetics (although if we are honest we all want to look “good”). Health encompasses mind, body and spirit.

Today, day five of the next forty days, I made my own gym. It took a little creativity, but the outdoors is limitless. There is nothing you can’t do- it’s just a matter of thinking creatively. I walked in the back yard and looked around for some type of exercise to do. Luckily a sledgehammer leaning against the fence caught my eye.
For five-minute intervals I continually hammered the wood while in-between heading to the street for some sprints. There was no sound of machines, no intimidation of those lifting more, or running faster, but instead beauty all around me (as much as a neighborhood in Dallas can offer). Trees, partly cloudy skies, and the smell of sawdust (from construction next door) accompanied me during my “workout.” Twenty-five minutes later I was spent. For that short time though I felt free of the worries that existed before starting. I felt alive. Fresh air and sunlight is like medicine to the soul. It gave me the opportunity to think, to ponder, and to stand in awe of creation.

Simplicity. I have not found a reason to not desire it yet. The more my life simplifies, the closer I feel to Jesus. The more I let go of, and trust in my Savior, the more joy I feel. More and more I realize how much I need Him. If you are reading (the two of you out there), take a walk today, slow down your life, even for a few minutes and breathe in the fresh air. Whether it is Jesus you follow or some other belief system- notice the beauty of what surrounds you. Take a minute to allow your soul to breathe.