I’m going to be honest with you. I am probably in the most unhealthy season I’ve ever been in, in my life.
I’ve always been pretty athletic. I played sports growing up and did REALLY weird things like having my own personal triathlons (running, rollerblading, biking) around my neighborhood….for fun.
I’d play tennis for hours and hours…by myself. (Yes, my sanity is questionable.)
But lately? I’ve spent more time “thinking” I’m athletic than actually being athletic. I’ve been resting on the resistance I used to face instead of being brave enough to face any now.
I haven’t been running. I haven’t been lifting weights. I haven’t been pushing myself. I haven’t been growing.
I’ve been “busy” and I’ve been getting “old” and I’ve been tipping the scales in favor of comfort rather than change.
And you know what?
These days, I get tired in the afternoons with my kids. I’m afraid to go all out when we do play sports because I don’t want to “hurt myself” because I know I’m not as strong and apt to tweak something. I feel overwhelmed because there is so much I need to do, want to do, but I don’t have the energy to do it.
So I drink more coffee. And then I crash. Rinse. Repeat.
I put the responsibility on everyone else…
When I finish this project THEN I’ll have more time to hit the gym. When my puppy has all his shots and he can go on walks with me THEN I’ll start running again. When my husband isn’t going out of town so much THEN I’ll get into a good routine.
I’ve come to a solid and life altering conclusion:
We are only as strong as the resistance we face. <<-- Click to Tweet!
I can WAIT for the perfect life circumstances to align (hint: this will never happen) OR I can CHOOSE to do the right thing in the midst of all my messy imperfection.
I can WAIT for an injury to hit me and then work hard to recover and finally be inspired to prevent future injury OR I can CHOOSE resistance and get strong now.
I can WAIT for my home to be a disaster area, frustrating myself and my family OR I can CHOOSE to start right now and get things in order before they fall apart.
I could spend all day at the gym. I could even sit at the leg extension machine for a couple hours, but I will not get any stronger until I face the resistance and actually lift the weights. It’s hard, maybe a little painful, but it makes me stronger. And it’s infinitely better than waiting to get stronger in a physical therapists office because I injured myself because I didn’t CHOOSE resistance earlier.
I won’t get fitter, healthier, more patient, more like Jesus or anything else good until I face resistance. And I have a very, very simple choice. I can wait for that resistance to come (normally in some sort of disastrous way) or I can choose to bring resistance into my life.
I want to be a woman who chooses it. I want to train for my life instead of react to it.
I can choose to get up early to spend time with God. I can choose to lift weights. I can choose to run. I can choose to speak in kindness when I don’t feel like it. I can choose to serve my family. I can choose to do the dishes tonight instead of letting them “soak.” I can choose to cook dinner because it’s healthier than the take out I’d resort to otherwise. I can choose to go to bed on time, even though I’d really like to stay up late and pretend I’m in college. I can choose to lovingly respond to my children instead of emotionally respond to them.
As moms, we face resistance all. day. long. Choose it. Embrace it. Get stronger.
<<-- Click to Tweet!
{fistbump}
p.s. It’s Monday, blank canvas day. This is your week to be strong. Take God’s hand and go be brave.
{fistbump – you can never have too many fist bumps.}
Question: What resistance do you need to embrace (patience, fitness etc.)? Click here to tell me in the comments.