Holding On

I have always been an active person.  I haven’t always liked going to the gym, though.  I’ve been going now for 5 or 6 or 7 years, and only in the last 2 or 3 have I really decided I like it, and miss it when I can’t get there.  When I go, I start out with a cardio workout, usually on the treadmill.  At my gym there is a long line of treadmills that face the equipment floor.  Some of the treadmills are in front of t.v.s and some are not.  I choose to go down to the very end where there are no t.v.s and very few people.  I like the 25 minutes of solitude and personal space.  With my job I have someone in my personal space all day long, and there is conversation all day long, and sometimes I just need some nothingness.  So I get in my own little world on the end treadmill and run a while.

After I get my second wind, about a half-mile in, I relax and get into a stride and begin to let my mind wander, and I also people-watch.  There are those that pump iron to put on a show, those that think they’re pushing oh-so-much weight when they really could be doing more, those that look too pretty so sweat, those that stand around and talk……Anyway, what has caught my attention lately are the ones on the treadmills.

There are those that walk slowly and seem to never get anywhere.  Those that run like their life depends on it. (I wonder what they’re running from, but that’s a whole ‘nother blog).  There are those that obviously run for distance, and those that hold on. 

There are these two middle to older aged ladies that are in the gym very frequently that walk on the treadmill.  They actually set the incline fairly high so that they’re walking uphill.  But then they don’t let go!  Don’t they know it’s not going to do them as much good if they don’t let go?!?!?!? As I was watching in frustration a couple of weeks ago, I felt the Holy Spirit speak to me and say “that’s what it’s like when you don’t let go and give things to me.”  You get some benefit, you get some reward, you make some progress, but you never reach full potential.

And, why???? Because it can be more painful in the beginning to let go.  But can’t we see, the end result will be so much better and we’ll be so much farther ahead if we’ll just let go?  Let go of ourselves, let go of our control, work those muscles.  Just like walking uphill on the treadmill, without holding on, works our body harder, not holding on to the hurts, anger, control, etc., in our life makes us stronger Christians.  Better able to ‘train’ the other muscles, members, of the body of Christ.  We can only make progress up to a certain point if we are still holding on. 

I’m not one for christian cliche’s, but the one that says “Let go and let God” is very fitting here.  You gotta let go of that treadmill handle to be stronger.  You gotta let go of your issues and give them to God to build your spiritual muscle.  It’s not always easy work, but it’s worth it in the end.