I am a big fan of physical fitness. I might not look like Arnold Schwarzenegger, but I do believe we should take care of ourselves, and the body God gave us. I try to go to the gym, go for walks and ride my bike when I can. I do have an active job at Chick Fil-A, but I do feel it is important we keep our blood pumping and try to stay in our best shape possible. Believe me when I say that "The Battle of the Bulge" is an ongoing battle for this guy writing this blog.
Since I have moved to South Carolina I have had a lot of things in storage including my bicycle. I was blessed to win this bicycle when I worked for TruGreen back in 2015. Our branch won a sales competition, and I was allowed to pick a prize from a catalog. I chose a bicycle! I always enjoyed cycling in the spring, summer and fall. The winter not so much. But I did try to take my bike for a spin and get much needed exercise when I could. Since my bike was stored at a local U-Haul, I was not able to ride since December. Not until February 5th. It had been 2 months since I rode my bike. The area I cycled in New York was primarily flat, so I had no hills to climb. Unfortunately, that was not the case where I rode in South Carolina recently. There were some tough hills to climb. Climbing up the hills cause me to huff and puff and work hard to get up that dreaded hill. I didn't look at the top of the hill. I only thought about each time I pedaled and pushed myself to get where I need to go. When I got to the top, I smiled because I knew one thing! I would have an opportunity to coast down the hill until...you guessed it...I had another hill to climb. On this particular day last week, I rode about 1 1/2 miles. Not bad after a two-month layoff! Not great either but there is always room for improvement!
This endeavor reminds me of life. How many times to do struggle when we climb up the worries and problems of life. We struggle and it's hard. We get angry. We wish we could coast but we know life can be a struggle. We wonder when it will ever end until...we reach the top and then...we coast...we realize life is good, things are going well, we are happy. We hear the song "I'm into something good" by Herman's Hermits in our ear as the wind blows in our face and then as we coast down that hill...guess what?? We have another hill to climb! I wish I could tell you all life will always be a downhill coast but that would be a lie. We all have many hills to climb. I have found this out not only recently but for many years. I have also discovered it is not only me but everyone who goes through this. My friends, it's called life. I know as I cycle, the more hills I climb, the better in shape I will become. In life, the more hills I climb, I will be able to face life's challenges. The difference is, when you put Jesus first, He makes all the difference, and He is there to help us when we struggle. All I know is that I cannot do it without Him! Reaching the top will always be a challenge. Thank you, God, for giving me the strength to be an overcomer!
HAVE A GREAT WEEK!
No comments:
Post a Comment