Teachings From The Treadmill

By Cindy Martin –

The cards and presents have all been opened and the decorations are put away for another year. New Year’s resolutions to quit this or start that are aplenty. My determination to drop a few pounds has me heading for the gym.

On the treadmill, as I finish selecting my program, entering my age (sigh), weight (bigger sigh) and time, immediately across the screen scroll the words KEEP HANDS ON SENSORS FOR HEART RATE. Any attempt to take a drink from my water bottle or skip to the next song on my IPod instantly results in getting beeped and the flashing reminder to KEEP HANDS ON SENSORS FOR HEART RATE. I see the STOP button but my pride and insatiable desire to multitask to efficiently use my time keep me from using it. After all, I should be able to take a little sip or make a few little adjustments without consequences.

I learn from a veteran treadmiller that there is a way around this annoying little feature. If you select “Random” as your program you are not required to KEEP HANDS ON SENSORS FOR HEART RATE. I enjoy my new found freedom and the anticipation of not knowing what’s coming next – just taking it as it comes. I tell myself that the safety risks are insignificant.
As my mind settles into a more contemplative mood and I reflect on my relationship with God, some striking parallels came to mind. My “I’ll do it my way” of approaching the design of the treadmill is often the way I approach God. I want all the benefits of the time we spend together, but I want it on my own terms. I don’t want to have to “stop” in the midst of my busyness to drink in the life-giving presence He offers. I want to make random adjustments on the run. I resist keeping my hands on the sensors of His word and His Spirit because I don’t always like what they reveal about my heart. All the while, I do so at the risk of my own spiritual health. Psalm 46:10 aptly reminds us of our spiritual Trainer’s words to us, “Be still and know that I (not you) am God.” (KJV)

The next time I’m at the gym, I think I’ll choose a different program (probably “Fat burn”!) and KEEP HANDS ON SENSORS FOR HEART RATE.

AUTHOR QUOTE: “It’s hard to fill a moving bucket!”

“Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10 KJV).

Major Life Changes = Stress

By Charlotte Riegel –

This past year took my husband and I through major life changes. Stress became my middle name. Thankfully our marriage of 44 years has survived renovating a large house in preparation for selling it. We then moved into a much older house ⅓ the size of the one we occupied for the past 17 years which necessitated a great deal of downsizing, and more renovations.

On the days when I thought I could not go on, I was reminded of Isaiah 40:31 and asked God for my strength to be renewed so that I could run through the events of my day without being weary. When I arrived at the end of those days feeling energized, I recognized my prayer had been answered and much had been accomplished.

Now, settling into my new home, on many days I still feel frazzled. I dislike these feelings of running off the rails and could not understand why I was struggling to cope. The Holy Spirit reminded me of a recent sermon I heard based on Mark 10:51. Jesus often healed people after they answered His question to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” I am hearing God ask me that same question. It’s not enough for me to simply call out “Help!” I need to become specific. I need to know what I desire God to do for me and then ask Him for it.

PRAYER: Lord, my need today is for sunshine. Please send some sunshine to brighten my days.
(This prayer was said after two weeks of fog and very grey, dull, wet, cold weather. I wrestle with SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) and two days later I woke to a cloudless sky and bright sunshine. I bounded out of bed and felt more energized and alive than I had in days. Thank you, Lord.)
“’What do you want me to do for you?’ Jesus asked him. The blind man said, ‘Rabbi, I want to see’” (Mark 10:54 NIV)

Go Ahead – Take a Big Sip

By Dan Miller

Theologian John S. Dunne tells the story about a group of Spanish sailors who reached the continent of South America after a long and dangerous voyage. They happened to approach right at the headwaters of the Amazon River, an expanse of water so wide the sailors assumed it was a continuation of the Atlantic Ocean.
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Babysitting Popcorn

By Michelle Lim –

Kids are the most creative moochers alive. If you don’t think so, just ask my five year old about babysitting popcorn.

I love popcorn. Thankfully, most of my kids prefer a different kind of popcorn than me. But my youngest will delight in whatever is available. He likes to shadow me to enjoy both his snack time and mine.

On one such afternoon, I’d popped a bowl of Kettle Corn and sat down to check email. Before you know it, two little eyeballs topped off with a carrot-top cowlick popped up over the edge of the blanket. Then, a shuffle of feet.

He is sitting next to me, feet extended, grabbing a handful of popcorn and cramming it in his mouth before I catch on and stop him. The phone rang and the next thing I knew, I was half a bowl down.

He folded his hands in his lap as I hung the phone to stare in my deplenished stash. Of course my son was feeling a bit sheepish about overtaking my snack, right?

NOPE!

His next words told the story. “Mommy, I think I’d like to babysit your popcorn for you.”

“You realize babysitting involves taking excellent care of them, not eating them?”

He giggled.

If I let him babysit my popcorn bowl, I’d have had not a kernel to spare. All in good fun, I would have feared the worst, anticipating bad news.

Our faith is much the same way. Sometimes we lay out our plans filled with all of the right ingredients, but it is hard to leave it in God’s hands. After all, in the process of watching over them, I often let my plans morph into something I didn’t intend at the beginning.

Just like my son thought he’d only eat one piece of popcorn, pretty soon he was babysitting popcorn and changing the whole picture.

Are you babysitting popcorn? Are you changing the picture in your own way because you just can’t trust it to God? I relate to this way more than I should.

Believe that God can handle your dreams. It is time to let God do the babysitting. After all, how can you chase your dreams and put the work in necessary to succeed if you can’t trust God to follow through?
“They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them” (Psalm 112:7 NIV)

Limitations

By Diane Mayfield –

I hate limitations. There I said it. I’m frustrated when I can’t get up, hit the floor running, and get my list completed. What’s even worse is when I need someone else to help me do simple things like cut my meat or wrap my packages. Then I have to be on his timetable. If you haven’t guessed by now, internal peace is not filling me up.

Recently I had what was to be a minor surgery on my left pinky finger. I expected to have the pinky and it’s neighboring finger in a splint for two weeks. In my mind that was manageable. When I awoke from surgery, I had my left hand in a mitten-like soft cast from the tips of my fingers past my wrist. My thumb and index finger remained moveable. My sister referred to it as my claw. My hand looked like a lobster with only pinchers exposed. I quickly found I was quite limited in what I could do, even down to typing this article.

I know many others are for more limited than me. On TV, I recently saw the young Australian man who was born with no limbs. He’s written a book, drives a car, and fully enjoys life. He travels the world speaking about his faith and it’s enabling power. Believe me, I get it. I’m just a whiner trying to get to the other side of my pity party.

Nevertheless, in my quiet time with God instead of worship, I’m flooded with all my to do’s for this Christmas season. My claw hand slows me down way too much. You can then imagine my internal frustration and complaining to the Lord. God in His goodness got a hold of me, though, in the story of Martha and Mary. “Martha, Martha, the Lord said, You are worried and upset about so many things, but few things are needed-or indeed only one” (Luke 10:41-42 NIV).

Then I thought about, or I should say He brought to mind, Jacob wrestling with the angel in his desire to do things his own way. Jacob was crippled in that encounter. Paul was imprisoned when he wrote many of his profound letters inspired by the Holy Spirit. John was led to a deserted island where he was taken up in a vision of the end times. All of these men were limited in some way to accomplish God’s greater purposes. Even our Lord limited himself to become flesh and dwell among us that we might be saved.

Limitations, while I hate them, often happen so that He might increase in my life. That is if I am willing to surrender to His way and focus on what Mary did. That is to sit at his feet and listen to Him.

God, I pray I would see your face in this limitation. My desire is that You would increase in me and my ways would decrease.

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