Working Out....when to do it and when to take a break

This morning, while Tami and I were getting ready for work, she asked me if I thought she could start working out again. For those that have not heard we were involved in a terrible car accident a little over a week ago and our SUV rolled over. Thank the Lord that none of us were seriously injured, but we had sore backs and necks along with a few other minor things. Tami knew that I had started back with my workouts on a limited basis and was ready to get back to the gym. I told her that your body will tell you when it’s ready. She was a little confused by my statement, so I had to explain my answer to her. I told her that you will probably be sore when working out, but if you start and your body really hurts then it’s telling you that now is not the time to do this. She thought about it for a minute and said, “My body is telling me it’s not ready yet!” LOL. So, I told her that she should wait another week and see how she is feeling!

As I was thinking about our conversation this morning, I couldn’t help but think about my spiritual journey and the things I go through. Most of my life has been an easy walk with the Lord where everybody likes me (who doesn’t?), everybody treats me with respect, and they pray for me and support me. During those times it just seems like everything falls into place and it’s so easy to be faithful and serve the Lord with all that I am.

Then there have been the times when a crisis has hit me. The loss of a job, death of a family member or close friend, unexpected debt, or maybe a health issue. These are the times that will test my spiritual fitness and strength. During the initial process it’s so hard to be upbeat, be in the Bible, pray, and maybe even go to church. Yet, unlike my physical body, which tells me to stop because I could do further damage, I need to understand that all of these things are a necessary part of my spiritual healing. Is it easy to do them? Of course not. But these are the systems that God has set in place for my own spiritual wellness. On Tuesday, when I went to the gym for the first time, I did my normal workout and was fine until the last 15 minutes. This is when I do my ab work and my back immediately said, “Stop!” I didn’t do my ab workout because I knew I could injure myself and then it could be months before I’m ready to work out. In the same way, when I hurt spiritually, I know that to neglect being in the Bible, praying, and going to church will only lengthen the time of my healing. It may not be easy and it works totally opposite of how I treat my physical body, but that is the way to find the peace that God has for you.