A year ago this month, i began a life-changing journey. At that time i honestly had no idea as to how it would really affect my life. It's funny because I don't think anyone close to me really had an idea. This time last year, i came to a fork in the road. I was the heaviest i had ever been which for my height was considered overweight. My weight gain did not help already diagnosed health problems like my lack of mobility with my left hip from a tear. Also, i had developed some significant stomach problems that had resulted in me being afraid to go and do things i would have normally been apart of before. Due to a very dark season prior, i also found myself in dark trench surrounded by anxiety, depression, and raging anger. And we all know that those emotions in general bring your quality of life down.
I came to a place in life where I was forced to embrace the misery that i was sinking in and continue down that road until... (dun dun dunn--insert miserable life story here) OR...I could totally change directions. I could take back the life I was blessed to have and life it the way the Lord was calling me to live it. Over the past year, i have kept off 25 lbs., become educated about health and nutrition, became a runner (this is still a work in progress), learned to cook healthy, happy, hearty meals, and been ever so faithful to my gym membership and daily exercise. And that my fellow readers is what brings me to this little write up... I am actually not writing about the adventurous journey i am on (although it's pretty blog worthy) but i wanting to share a bit about my WORK OUTS.
Ever since i became routine with working out last September, i realized how vital to my days it is. Just to give you an idea of what i do, i started out with just a High Intensity workout program called 9-Rounds. I must thank it for teaching me commitment and how to push my self physically. About 4 months ago i also got a gym membership to give me more access to weights and indoor cardio. I also began running back in December and fell in love with that. Now, I am actually more in the gym than anything doing weights and cardio and am actually a part of an awesome program my friend created for women. This program has challenged me greatly in the sense that it "don't play no games" as the saying says. It pushes you to find your limit and push a little past it each day. It also requires commitment and self discipline. I have realized in doing this program that before this, i really did not "work-out". I exercised daily, and don't get me wrong, i absolutely benefited from it. However, i was not doing what i consider to be "working-out".
And that brings me to a reality i have been pondering the past week. I think sometime there may be a negative connotation link to the term "working-out". I mean if you say you are exercising, that is general and paints a giant picture from going for a walk, swimming with the kids, doing an aerobics class, or playing tennis. (ALL AWESOME BENEFICIAL THINGS) But when i hear the phrase 'working out' the reoccurring picture that gets painted is a smelly gym with a bunch of beef heads pumping iron and taking their flex-selfies. I actually struggled with telling people i was going to work out because there were a few times not too long ago where people made there comments about not being as healthy as me or i guess more or less singled me out as if i put myself on a pedestal because of certain lifestyle choices. The other day though i began to think about it and to be honest this is my heart on the matter....
I WORK-OUT...and i LOVE it. It is a vital part of my day and if i don't get to and it's a day i should i am frustrated. BUT.... <--(key word here)
It's not because i feel like i am going to gain all my weight back again or lose muscle i have worked hard to get...it's because my WORK OUTs go so much deeper than the physical realm. My work out is a time where i get in a zone, put my headphones on, and blast the words and truth of my Heavenly Father. It's hours of listened to his word. It's time where i am physically working out my muscles but mentally, spiritually, and emotionally, i am working out my fears, anxieties, stresses, questions, and concerns with my God. It is such a parallel for me, the physical and the spiritual. It's been moments during my workouts that i have heard the Lord speak to my heart and show me things I had not seen before. It's work outs that I am listening to all different types of Christian music and it's that one phrase i catch in between my catching breaths and water breaks that penetrates my deepest worries with the light of God's Truth.
When i go into the gym...YES...i go in there to do work. I don't want to come out unless i am sweaty-nasty-gross. But it's the same with my walk with the Lord. I don't want to leave until i have shredded every ounce of filth, sin, and crap that begins to build up throughout my days and clouds my heart and soul from loving and showing Jesus to others. I don't want to leave until i have praised God sooo much people are starting to think i am the crazy girl who wears headphones and talks to her self , every now and then raising her hands on the treadmill ( in praise) and randomly smiling in affirmation of the awesomeness of God-Almighty.
My work-outs mean the world to me. Do I think everyone in the gym thinks the way i do...NAHHHHH... do i think there is probably someone else in there actually using their time to refuel and strengthen their personal home of the Holy-Spirit? Absolutely... Do i think that people can get sooo obsessed with the physical aspect that it becomes their god and life? OF COURSE...do i pray against that everyday in my personal life... YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT.
I am so thankful for the many things God has done in my life over the past year. Just when i thought God had done His work by allowing me to achieve the physical accomplishments, He decided to rock my world and totally restore- renew- revive- and ignite the inside of my being. God is so good and nothing i write in this blog could ever do Him justice or express His goodness enough. It could never depict His strength and power. Only a personal encounter and experience can do that and that is my prayer. My prayer is that my life shouts of an experience with God...not just one life changing one, but one that takes place day in and day out. A constant encounter with the most-glorious, most high, God and Creator of the Universe...
Until next time...
PS::
Vinegar baths are clutch for WORK-OUT post recover :-p
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