Confession Time!

I have a confession to make it. My pride hit me square in the nose today and it did not feel good!! I'm just going to lay it out there, is that okay with you? Since this is a post on pride, I might as well go all or nothing.

I have been the same weight now for 5 years. It's not fluctuated since I gave birth to my last child, five years ago. I say that to make the point that I have had 5 years to get rid of the extra weight that is not healthy for me.

For months I have been reading posts by people I love telling about their trials and successes or failures and all the while my pride kicks into overdrive.

"I'm happy sitting here enjoying my coffee and snack. Why would I want to go through all that hassle. I don't feel like spending my money on diets, gyms, programs, etc. I walk, I'm active, I don't need to exercise." Whatever!

Okay, so why am I telling you all this? I'm glad you asked.

A friend of mine invited me to a cardio-kickboxing class. I laughed when I read the text. We went back and forth and while I really really wanted to say no, I didn't.

I started out okay. I watched a couple of people and tried to keep pace with them. First dumb mistake, it was clearly not their first time. After 3 minutes, (yes, 3 minutes) I thought I was going to have a heart attack. After 5 minutes I had to take a 5 minute break. I was so ashamed. Not because I couldn't keep up but that I couldn't keep up after only 5 minutes.

All the stupid thoughts came back to me and I realized that through my pride the only person that was suffering was me and my health.


Proverbs 11:1-2 "The Lord detest dishonest scales, but accurate weights find favor with Him. 2. When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom." 


The classic verse on pride...Proverbs 16:18 "Pride comes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall." 


I was most definitely humbled last night's work out. Wisdom I hope will come with that humiliation. 


I found this blog very encouraging!! The Truth About Regular Exercisers

Relationships

I guess spending time on the freeway is a recipe for blog posts. Sorry for the analogy, but it came to me so strongly I just had to share.

On my way to work the other day I was driving along, minding my own when I could see in my rearview mirror, a car anxious to be ahead of everyone else. He was weaving in and out of the lanes without regard to how fast he was going or how unsafe he was driving.

It got me to thinking not of driving but of relationships. How we weave in and out of people's lives without regard to the people we may be able to connect with while we're in that "lane." We get so caught up in what we want that we rarely give a thought that maybe we're there for the benefit of the other. Perhaps by passing them by we're missing an opportunity the Lord has for us.

I'm not suggesting we are supposed to have the same circle of people our whole lives, of course not.
We go through seasons of life weaving in and out of relationships. As single folk you have a set of friends then somehow that changes (intentionally or not) when we get married. There's the married without children and married with children. Mother's of Preschoolers (MOPS) and Mother's of school-aged children who are busy arranging play dates and running to and from sporting practices and games.

Thanks to FACEBOOK I have reconnected with a number of friends I had in those various times of my life. I hope I made the most of those relationships at the time. Mostly I am grateful for those who refuse to let relationships that matter to them, die to the seasons of life.

Elaine and Julie

I am grateful for all the people that I have passed in my various "lanes" because they all shaped me into who I am today. Words poured into me, disagreements that opened my eyes and heart. 

"Every encounter could be a divine appointment"- RZ