One Thing That I'm Thinking...

Okay, there are thoughts rolling in my head. Thoughts that don't have to shove out of the way to deal with Room 24 or where everyone has to be in the next 12 minutes.

One think I'm thinking is my deal with fitness/ health.

Towards the end of school, I was really pleading with the Lord about my attitude: my mouth, my heart, my actions. It wasn't all THAT terrible -- believe me, it's been a lot worse! -- but, as Beth Moore says, "Haven't you noticed that the more time you spend with God the pickier He is with you?" Very true. The Lord was really convicting me of my heart and attitude and I was finding myself needing to repent quite frequently and pray for patience and a pure heart.

I know it will come as no surprise to you that I began to notice those times that I was not at my best physically were the most difficult for me to seek God's heart -- when I was excessively hungry or tired, or had gone too long without a workout, I had to pray overtime to control my mouth and heart because I was GROUCHY. As an educator, this is a no-brainer. This is why public schools serve all kinds of meals -- we learned a long time ago that when a person's basic needs aren't met (food, shelter, rest, etc.) they can't learn. (I'm sure some high- falutin' theorist said this, and I'm sure at one time I knew who it was -- I can actually remember where it was on the page of my textbook -- but my brain seems to have squished that info out for other more important drivel, like my current favorite Lorelai Gilmore quote).

So that led me to think about caring for this house (meaning, my body, the house of my soul) that the Lord has given me to live in (at some point, as the Lord gets pickier with me, I'm sure I will feel the need to talk about taking care of my actual house that He has given me to live in, but that steps on my toes too much right now). I think about how much more I enjoy life and long to follow the Lord when I am well rested, well fueled, and de-stressed.

No doubt, my initial motivation for pursuing fitness was purely vanity, but I have come to realize what a blessing and benefit it is for all of me -- yes, even my soul -- to take care of my physical house. If I am getting proper sleep, I can more easily listen to what the Lord is putting on my heart. If I am not fatigued from carrying around extra weight, I don't have the need to rest as frequently and I am able to DO what the Lord has put on my heart. Properly fueling my body by what and how much I choose to eat, as well as clearing my head with a workout of my choosing all lead to a healthier me, which leads to a ready servant of the Lord.

So, that's just one thing I've been thinking. Caring for my body isn't purely a selfish act, but it's being a good steward of what the Lord has given me.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Romans 12:1

Do you not know that your body is a temple 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. Therefore honor God with your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20.