Pleasures We Work For

My opening statement yesterday was about being in a rut – and how easy it is to get there. That rut driven life at times is boring – everything is the same. And the suggestion was to try something different… even a banana split. Make a Bsplit for a start.

I need to add the next perspective to yesterday’s “Bsplit Day” – and that is making sure we are “Bfit”. “Bfit” for me is the exercise part or “Be Fit”. Today I need to do something; stretch, move, run, walk, or swim. This part of my life equation is starring my in the face after each tough day of hard work. I am out of shape.

One of my favorite TV programs is sprinkled with advertisements for a product known as a “Bowflex”. It looks a little bit like one of the spiders in my garage – only really big. The one add comes on with a guy that purports to be almost 50 years old. He is doing all things that a dream man that is single would do…music…a good job…a happy life and his “Bowflex” in his front room.

The odd thing about the TV add is that there are no kids around in the shots showing the “happy and fit man”. There is no wife either and apparently he can have his huge “Bowflex” sitting in his living room – likely because he has no wife or social life around his home. Like where do your friends sit if they come over?

I doubt that I will buy a “Bowflex”…but I can do something. A “Bsplit Day” requires breaking out of the ordinary, normal life. What better way to do this than to try a “Bfit Day”. Again do something.

Yesterday I did something. It was a start all over again. Today it hurts a little more but there is hope in that hurt. My muscle sang as they worked with something heavy…today they complain.

The Shock…
As I walked through the hospital lately I have been confronted with some people that are suffering. Some of them had some extra weight – others didn’t. Through heredity they had been given hearts that were not working right anymore.

As I talked with one man he was a little down. He had been told of his personal condition and was facing some serious time to recover. I felt sorry for him and prayed. His wife held his hand. Together they will face this monster of health difficulties.

The problem for me was the walking away from the bed and realizing that he was about my age. He was a little overweight and the time had come with a new heart problem. Now he had to deal with it for sure.

To make my own Bfit Day possible and then to keep them going I have to add some “Intent”. Sprinkling Intent on all that I do starts a new movement around me. Everything starts to change.

Just before Thanksgiving my wife asked me to go downstairs to our extra refrigerator and get “the Bird” – our Thanksgiving Turkey that she was preparing for our family to eat. I opened the fridge and there it was – big, fat and ready to be cooked. Mmmm..!

As I carried it upstairs it was heavy. I knew were having a number of people for our Thanksgiving Dinner together. It needed to be big for sure.

I asked Alida how much it weighed and her answer shocked me, “It is only 25 pounds.” Yikes! I am carrying at least 20 pounds too much right now around my middle. I literally have an extra turkey hanging on my person all the time – AND IT IS HEAVY.

So a new Intent is in place now to begin with more effort each day to make it a “Bfit Day” – move a little more, walk a little more and try a little harder.

But one thing is for sure – I hate doing this alone. Does anyone want to begin to walk with me. Maybe we can just know we will walk at the same time in two different places – but we will walk together.

Well I have to run now. I need to get my walking shoes on and get going. Let me know how you are doing.

~ Pastor Murray Lincoln ~