Back on Track

Well, it's no secret, my family and I have moved.  This past spring my district superintendent called and told me that the cabinet had been discussing my gifts and graces for ministry and that they believed that it was time for us to pack up and head West.  After discussing it with Myranda and the girls and praying about it, we agreed to the appointment.

I have to admit that I do enjoy moving.  I like meeting new people, seeing new places, and experiencing God in new and exciting ways.  However, I hate the process!  The packing, the purging, and the scheduling is always a nightmare.  In the midst of gearing up for the move it dawned on me that two areas of my life were going to take a direct hit.  Both of these things I have learned not only to enjoy but to cherish as a part of my daily schedule.  They are my prayer time and my exercise time.

About a month before the move, I began to pray that God would give me a double portion of his Spirit.  I know myself well enough to realize that in the process of transitioning from one place to another that my prayer life would take a major hit.  So I began to build up "Spiritual Fat."  I prayed longer, I asked God's grace to see me through, and I asked for him to meet me on the other side of the move.

But my exercise was another story.  I really have learned to love my treadmill.  Over the past few months it has become a fixture for me.  It is no longer a burden.  I love the way it hums.  I enjoy seeing the miles trickle by and the calorie counter increase.  As I watched it loaded onto the truck, I realized that there was no way that I could store up extra miles like I did with my prayer life.

So for almost two weeks I didn't exercise and I didn't have deep prayer time.  After I got settled in and Mykaylee found the key to the treadmill, I finally was able to resume my routine.  As it so happened, my first day on the treadmill was the same day that I restarted my prayer time.  Boy did it feel good!  It felt great to challenge my legs again.  As my heart began to race and my lungs expanded from the increased activity, I could feel my body fit back into its groove.

Paul wrote to his son in the faith Timothy, "Train yourself for a holy life!  While physical training has some value, training in holy living is useful for everything.  It has promise for this life now and the life to come."  I think I understand his words better now than I ever have in the past.  Training my body and my spirit for a holy life is a good thing.  Both the physical training and the holy living make me a better person.  They help form me and fashion me the way God intends for me to be.

So today, I thank God for meeting me where I am and for sustaining me during times of transition.  I love the fact that God's grace never quits and will even carry us through until we can get back on our feet.  Most of all, I'm thankful that my training is back on track...both physically and spiritually.

Until next time...





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