Michelle and I just joined the YMCA. I need to get in shape. She’s from Ethiopia and is training for a marathon around the galaxy. We played squash for the first time together. That was Monday. We’re still aching.
When I went into the change room, there was this guy there. About 5 1/2 feet tall, totally gym-ed out, carrying a huge protein shake. He had a head band and wristbands and tattoos and sport shoes. He was hanging around a bunch of body builders and was talking to some muscular dudes and was having a swell time. And he was completely out of shape. Large, but not in charge. Didn’t look like he’d ever worked out in his entire life. But he talked about working out alot.
Here’s what makes the story interesting- When we finished playing squash an hour later and I went back into the change room…he was still there! Talking. Flexing. Drinking. Not sweating.
Talking.
All show.
It’s leading me to ask some spiritual questions:
Where am I simply ‘drinking the juice’? What am I doing with the things I am taking in?
Am I just talking?
Where am I taking action?
How am I posing?
Where am I sweating but not working?
Who am I hanging around with because it makes me look good?
Is it possible that I’m claiming Jesus but denying the POWER thereof?
I want the stuff I take in to get worked out.
I don’t want to talk, I want to live.
I don’t want to pose, I want to show.
I want to sweat blood and tears from my Kingdom work.
I want to hang around others that I can learn from and be led by.
I want to get juiced up, jacked up, and rip-roaring-roid-raging for Jesus.
I’m grateful for the pudgy pal, because he served as a good warning for me: that, if I’m not careful, his physical shape could become the mirror for my spiritual shape.
Jay
On Sex With Mom today, Karen shares one of the grossest stories you’ll hear all week. And makes a good point too!
While it might seem inconsequential right now, the small things are blazing a new direction for your life, good or bad.
Having oral sex with your boyfriend or girlfriend.
Smoking all that crap.
Flirting with that classmate or co-worker.
Allow those foolish people to influence us.
Our lack of discipline in controlling our time or finances.
Choices change direction.
When taking off from the Toronto airport, Alaska and Hawaii are just a difference of a few degrees in direction.
Think about a compass. Life is the fluid, your direction is the needle, and your choices are the magnetic pull. Your choices adjust your bearing.
Where are you headed?
If you don’t know, you need to do something very brave: stop lying to yourself. Find five people who love you immensely but are willing to be brutally honest. Give them a piece of paper and fold it in half. On one half write “things determining my direction” and get them to make a list of all the good and bad choices they see you currently making. On the other half, write “my direction’s destination” and have them write where they think you’ll probably end up if you keep making the same choices. Again, both the good and the bad. Don’t get mad or offended at them. You asked them to do it. They obeyed. Take it like a (wo)man.
Then change. Chart a new course. Set a new direction. T.o.d.a.y.
Something happens about every month in our marriage that I very much enjoy. Michelle gets the hiccups. The reason I like this occasion is simple- I get to scare her senseless. There’s an old wives tale that says if you scare and surprise someone with hiccups, they’ll go away.
So yesterday she got hiccups. I waited until she was ignoring me and then ‘BOO!” Scared the crap out of her. And made her very angry. She started hitting me and saying
“Don’t do that! Why would you do that? You know I don’t like to be scared like that! That was just mean! I’m not very happy at you right now! Why are you looking at me like that? I was scared! I’m mad! My… hiccups… are…. gone. Oh baby, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to! I thought you were just being mean! I didn’t mean to get mad! I’m so sorry!”
No problem. (I was bracing for the impact anyway- like I said, this happens about once a month and it make for cheap entertainment!) It was just a misunderstanding.
Being misunderstood might be one of the greatest problems in life that we overlook. (Maybe we’ve misunderstood understanding?) All I know is that plenty goes wrong where misunderstanding’s around.
People don’t see our hearts.
We don’t see theirs.
It causes division in churches.
It breaks up friendships and relationships.
It ruins companies.
It causes wars and rumors of wars.
It keeps us from living out God’s plans for our life.
Seek understanding. Search out wisdom.
I don’t have an answer for this one. It probably starts with prayer, getting a new perspective, and hearing all sides of a story. It probably includes putting others before us and walking a few miles in their shoes. It probably involves asking God for help, and then asking the same of the people around us. What do you think it takes to gain understanding?
Jay
New No Boys Allowed Post called “Obedience in the small things.”
I think patience creates an environment for understanding. In Proverbs it says that a patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man displays folly.
In Summary… www.reader.google.com allows you to read as many blogs as you want without having to type in every web address- they all come to you. This allows you to then learn and absorb tons of quality information without wasting time!
Next week: How I blog.
The week after: How YOU can start and grow your own blog.
April 30th, 2009 at 3:25 am
love that tilt-shift video. i think the song is by ‘washington’….she’s so good.
April 30th, 2009 at 3:33 am
AND….erwin mcmanus’ daughters band is actually really good!! i’m so impressed!