Somebody, somewhere, is out to get you...and make you THIN...the PHysical PHitness PHreaks have watched you "PHeast" on your favorite "PHancy foods"--and now it's time to pay! The PHat Police just KNOW you need to exercise and lose the excess poundage. They're everywhere--on TV, in the magazine ads, the newspapers, the coupon mailers...you CAN'T hide...so if you don't want to cooperate, you better run for dear life! And HIDE that box of chocolates--or better yet, send it to me...grin...
Now I'm just "PHunnin" around...enjoying all the strange words I am creating as I write--so allow me to indulge myself for a minute. Just a minute. For you see, the physical fitness people aren't the ONLY ones trying to make me head for the nearest fitness center. SOMEONE else is "strretching" me...and I have a hunch that sometimes He even "strretches" you...let's jog to the Well--we DO need the exercise--and find out what HE is doing!
SOMEONE is STRRRETCHING us backwards!
He's Lord of the thankful heart!
Memory is a wonderful joy of life--we all have those happy-smile memories that delight. But we also have those not-so-happy pains of life--sometimes we are haunted by a mindful of miserable memories. Past sins, past failures and mistakes, past hurts and pain. Broken relationships, broken dreams, broken toys. Look at those memories not with guilt over confessed sins and wrong choices - remember them as trophies of God's faithfulness to you. You are free - you are a wonderful testimony of God's grace. Let God "strrretch" you. Know that His Blood cleanses the sin; His love heals the pain....then GET up and go on with God! Your exercise class will never be dismissed--it's a lifetime of learning, but HE will strrretch you--all the way back--to a thankful heart!
SOMEONE is STRRRETCHING us upwards!
He's Lord of the seeking heart!
This fall, I climbed a "million" steps in an underground cave. I stretched muscles to the breaking point, so it felt! Now I survived, as you can see, but for days, I moaned and groaned as those hurting, strained muscles tried to heal. Ever feel as though God is stretching your spiritual muscles--to the breaking point? Difficult circumstances, hard relationships in the home, the family, and even the church will try our sanctity, our sanity, and our spirituality until we are a crumbled-up bundle of sore, spiritual muscles. This is LIFE--it catches us all. So what is happening? God is strrretching us--He is using the hard places of life to draw us closer to Himself. He didn't cause them--He is allowing them. What to do? Don't just sit there in a painful pity party! Go to Him in prayer, in praise (even in the middle of it all!), in thanksgiving for what He is doing in your life--even what you don't understand. Read His Word, find uplifting Christian books and music. Share with Christian friends--and let God strrretch you--all the way up--to a seeking heart!
SOMEONE is STRRRETCHING us forward!
He's Lord of the trusting heart!
Now this sounds very positive--but have you ever faced a new challenge, a new opportunity, a new job? Been scared to death--with every feeling of insecurity drawing you back to the status quo? I've been there--and I've been scared. New adventures always scare me, but when God speaks, I know it is in my best interest to obey, for He knows exactly what He is doing and where He is taking me. Sometimes I haven't a clue--but years later, can look back and KNOW that only as I allowed Him to stretch me, was He able to truly fulfill His will in my life. And He will do the same for you. So don't hold back from the NEW places He wants to take you. Go with God--let Him strrretch you--all the way forward--to a trusting heart!
Physical exercise takes patience, dilgence, determination. And so does spiritual exercise. God will help us each day--if we let Him. Let's determine that to look back with a thankful heart, look upward with a seeking heart, and look forward with a trusting heart. He'll be there--all the way--to strrretch us to our fullest capacity in Him. I love a Lord like that, don't you!
A Hurting Word...