So, how much life has changed since my last post. One year ago, I ran a half marathon. I had become so fit at that point that I was running 7 miles in a day willingly, three times a week. Bad idea. And I knew better. I developed Plantar Fasciitis in both feet, and as a result, went from a 21 mile a week runner to a zero runner. This condition had hung on for several months before I decided to simply stop running to give my body ample chance to heal itself. 12 months later, I still have it, despite a doctor, shoe inserts designed for me, icing, stretching, wearing braces at night, and cortisone shots.
Of course it has not been fun. But during this time, my life mission has markedly changed.
First, what to do with all the time and discipline that I'd previously put into getting my runs in at 0-dark-thirty three times a week: entry of a new gift to nurture. I became (again) a lead worshiper in my church. Last September, while I was making the decision to simply stop running, I felt called to begin a new chapter. My first night of singing was my birthday. Nervous that morning, knowing I'd be singing, and petrified, I glanced down at my phone, which lit up uninvited, and displayed on my phone (again, unprompted by me -- I did not even own this album or song,) were the words, "Sing like never before." It is a line in the song by Matt Redman, "10,000 Reasons." This was prophetic, and encouraging. I had not called up that album cover, so it was God. I needed that encouragement on that, my first day back into lead worshiping.
It has been quite a year. One God-inspired musical experience led to another. My mother had given me a large ukulele. I got some uke strings, chose to string it like a 4-string guitar. My hands are too small to play a guitar, and 'on a whim,' I thought I'd just learn a few chords. Only once I got started I was driven to learn more. All I was learning fed into my role maintaining the music database for our worship team, and it sharpened my skills.
Meanwhile, I also felt inspired to pick the viola back up from my school days, when I took 8 years of orchestra. Again, I was driven -- DRIVEN -- to learn and practice. I quickly realized that it would be a wonderful compliment to my role on the worship team, and my husband observed the direction my skills were going, and provided me an electric viola so that I could praise God on it. The way I felt when I was able to give that gift to my Jesus just confirmed the decisions that led up to that.
Finally, in June this year, I had learned several keys on my "4-string" ukulele. I was playing all the worship songs that we were using in church. I found a 4-string guitar on Amazon for $150. I longed for it, but did not feel free to splurge for it. Then, after creating and presenting a slideshow and all the media for a celebration of life, something I do as a volunteer, I was handed, completely unprompted and unexpected, was handed an appreciating check for $100. I cried. I knew I could get the little narrow neck 4-string guitar that would enable me, in eventuality, to praise God in even another way.
So one year later, I can see looking back, that yes, God took something away, my running. He didn't heal me immediately of my pain. But he gave me something so very wonderful, so much more valuable. He gave me the opportunity and the means, not just a means, but 3 different ways to love on Him. In just one year - I am astounded at his swap. The opulence in what He gave me, in return for my running, which I had hung onto for 4 years with great self-discipline, as if it had value equal to my best efforts. The fact is that what God gave me is worth far far more. I trusted Him before, but oh He has given me 3 more glorious reasons to trust Him.
So yes, I am grateful, and I praise Him, and thank Him for not just answering my prayer, which I had prayed some years before, "Just one more chance, Lord, to sing for you. I realize I'm getting older, and that is usually for younger people, but I'd love it, if I could just do it for a time, just once more, before I sit in my rocker. I want to sing to You again." He honored, answered, fulfilled that prayer, and He heaped my viola and my little guitar on top. I am more grateful than you will ever know. I will try, dear Lord, not to ever hold anything closer to myself than You. xoxoxo Your Gail
Saturday, September 30, 2017
Saturday, February 6, 2016
You Can Do What You Do
It's occurred to me recently that we forget what prepares us to do what we do today. Most basically, let's look at the physical. I've left my childhood, entered the adult world, raised children, gradually stopped doing so much physical, and become sedentary. My body has responded by becoming less able to exert itself. I tend to sit all day for work, I avoid extra steps as time wasters, I circle the lot looking for a close space, I never "exercise," I value building my mind and my relationships, and not so much my body. In eventuality I've stopped doing, so that now I can't do. I can't climb the stairs without getting out of breath. I can't run into the store from my car when it sleets. I can't deal with a long day on my feet. I can't go through a weekend day without a nap. I'm weak. I can't chase kids. I can't walk long or fast, and I certainly can't run. I start to feel run down, tired all the time. I'm no fun.
The way I see it, I have two options: go to the doctor to see what solutions he has up his sleeve; or I can do. Seems a whole lot easier to go to the doctor, but the fact is, your body was built to build strength. If you want strength, it's not in a bottle or a pill. It's in the training.
This is it: If I do, I can do. Yep, for most it's that simple. If you don't let it get so far that you're a complete mess, you can do, if you do. You start out small. You'd like to be able to make it through a rough day without feeling as if you've been run over by a truck. Start by parking WAY OUT from the store and taking the stairs everywhere. It's tough at first, but after you've done it a handful of times within a few weeks, it'll get easier. Add a couple walks a week. Maybe pick up the pace a bit after a couple weeks. Don't do anything big abruptly, work up to it. Walk the dog farther than you did before. Shop in the Giant or Super Walmart instead of the little Food Lion.
My daughter laughed at me a couple weeks ago because I ran from the store to the car instead of walked like "normal" 52 year-olds do. I can do it because I do.
There is a similar principle, which is that you get good at what you practice. It nearly killed me the first time I attempted running, but I was determined. I kept going. Something inside me just wouldn't allow me to give up. Was it fun? No. But I practiced, kept practicing, and now it's much easier....not easy.... but easier. So now I run across the parking lot, and I play chase with my grandbabies. I can do because I do.
Sounds all positive, I know, until you realize that you get good at bad habits too, not just good ones. This is why you try not to let kids continue bad behavior from the start. They can sure enough get good at behaving badly. You too. First time you lie to someone, as an adult, to get you out of a tight spot, it's really hard. It gets easier. It gets easier to smoke after the first cigarette, to drink after the first beer -- it just does. It gets easier to be unkind once you've been unkind. The more you've done it, the easier it gets. There was a gentleman in a religious organization I worked with, who reamed me out not once, but twice, over relatively small issues, once in front of about 30 people involved with that organization. I was mystified at the discordance between his leadership role in the church, and his behavior. Later, I found out that he was permitted by leadership to behave this way periodically, toward women especially, with impunity, in more than one religious role he held. He "had a trail" of women he had treated that way. He had been permitted to continue the behavior, no one stopped it, no one took his roles away, and he became very good at it.
So what do we take from this? Figure out what you want to be, or to change. Start small, work your way up, making lots of little decisions to support it. Refuse to develop other habits that stand between you and what you want to be able to do. If it's physical, map out your route, from small steps to bigger, to get you where you want to be. If it's behavior, refuse to compromise with yourself. Refuse to blame it on a bad day or on someone else, or on circumstances. Refuse to hop on a slippery slope. Prepare for temptation and galvanize your determination.
You can do what you do. You get good at what you practice. Cut the assumption that the only solution is a doctor or a pill. In many cases, those are hindsight solutions, inferior to strengthening your body, habits and resolve, and they lead many into dependency and unintended side-effects. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. Use that to your advantage. Get your body used to doing what you want it to do, and then you will do it. For many, yes, it really is that simple.
The way I see it, I have two options: go to the doctor to see what solutions he has up his sleeve; or I can do. Seems a whole lot easier to go to the doctor, but the fact is, your body was built to build strength. If you want strength, it's not in a bottle or a pill. It's in the training.
This is it: If I do, I can do. Yep, for most it's that simple. If you don't let it get so far that you're a complete mess, you can do, if you do. You start out small. You'd like to be able to make it through a rough day without feeling as if you've been run over by a truck. Start by parking WAY OUT from the store and taking the stairs everywhere. It's tough at first, but after you've done it a handful of times within a few weeks, it'll get easier. Add a couple walks a week. Maybe pick up the pace a bit after a couple weeks. Don't do anything big abruptly, work up to it. Walk the dog farther than you did before. Shop in the Giant or Super Walmart instead of the little Food Lion.
My daughter laughed at me a couple weeks ago because I ran from the store to the car instead of walked like "normal" 52 year-olds do. I can do it because I do.
There is a similar principle, which is that you get good at what you practice. It nearly killed me the first time I attempted running, but I was determined. I kept going. Something inside me just wouldn't allow me to give up. Was it fun? No. But I practiced, kept practicing, and now it's much easier....not easy.... but easier. So now I run across the parking lot, and I play chase with my grandbabies. I can do because I do.
Sounds all positive, I know, until you realize that you get good at bad habits too, not just good ones. This is why you try not to let kids continue bad behavior from the start. They can sure enough get good at behaving badly. You too. First time you lie to someone, as an adult, to get you out of a tight spot, it's really hard. It gets easier. It gets easier to smoke after the first cigarette, to drink after the first beer -- it just does. It gets easier to be unkind once you've been unkind. The more you've done it, the easier it gets. There was a gentleman in a religious organization I worked with, who reamed me out not once, but twice, over relatively small issues, once in front of about 30 people involved with that organization. I was mystified at the discordance between his leadership role in the church, and his behavior. Later, I found out that he was permitted by leadership to behave this way periodically, toward women especially, with impunity, in more than one religious role he held. He "had a trail" of women he had treated that way. He had been permitted to continue the behavior, no one stopped it, no one took his roles away, and he became very good at it.
So what do we take from this? Figure out what you want to be, or to change. Start small, work your way up, making lots of little decisions to support it. Refuse to develop other habits that stand between you and what you want to be able to do. If it's physical, map out your route, from small steps to bigger, to get you where you want to be. If it's behavior, refuse to compromise with yourself. Refuse to blame it on a bad day or on someone else, or on circumstances. Refuse to hop on a slippery slope. Prepare for temptation and galvanize your determination.
You can do what you do. You get good at what you practice. Cut the assumption that the only solution is a doctor or a pill. In many cases, those are hindsight solutions, inferior to strengthening your body, habits and resolve, and they lead many into dependency and unintended side-effects. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. Use that to your advantage. Get your body used to doing what you want it to do, and then you will do it. For many, yes, it really is that simple.
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