Stop Breathe Pray Give Thanks

Can I be honest? At my age trying to do anything that involves balance tends to frustrate me. I have such a strong desire to be perfect. The first time Kaylon, my trainer in Belize, gave me this exercise to do I said, “You have got to be kidding me?! Do you remember how old I am?!” I rolled my eyes and got to work. I wobbled awkwardly, stumbled with each leg raise, and could not even do one without losing control.

It would have been easy to move on to something else. Kaylon gave me permission to do what feels right and not worry about training intensely right now.  I know that there are other exercises that would target the same muscles I was working on. But, I had to figure it out.  Not because I wanted to torture myself but because of my upbringing. Do you see the flag in the case on top of my mother’s piano? That flag represents a military honor that my father earned during his 20 years in the Air Force. Growing up in a military family means being exposed to discipline, hard work, along with an attitude of figuring it out and getting it done.

As I researched Single leg Romanian Deadlifts I discovered that if I put the band on the floor, stepped onto it and then used the opposite hand to pull on the band while extending the free arm for balance that I could actually do it! (If you try this please make sure that your knee, on the leg where the band is located, is bent instead of straight like mine.)

Working out in front of that flag reminded me that I couldn’t give up. I had to figure it out. So a few minutes worth of Google searching gave me a workable solution. What fitness problem or issue are you trying to solve? Is it getting started? Working out from home?  Whatever it is, stop, breathe deep, ask God for guidance, and thank Him in advance for His help.  This works for me whether it’s a fitness issue or any other problem that needs a resolution.

Stop. Breathe. Pray.  Give Thanks.  Challenges hold valuable lessons deep within their core so we must stop and embrace the insight from God!

Do you know what happened when I sent my trainer this video? He wrote back two simple words, “your favorite.”  I laughed. I smiled. And then I wrote back, “yep!” They may not ever truly be my favorite. But, I will keep on doing them and I will smile with satisfaction when I’m done.

Let’s Reflect:  Identify one area that you’re struggling with right now. Write it down and then ask God to guide you to who you can ask or what resource you can use to find a solution.

Let’s Pray: God, We are so grateful for the bodies that You’ve designed for us. We are capable of doing so much more than we can think or imagine. Help us to turn to You in the challenge instead of struggling and stumbling around on our own. Show us where and how to find answers that will help us gain mastery over the challenges that we face. In Jesus name. Amen

 

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