Tuesday, May 13, 2014

keep on moving.......


Happy Tuesday!  It’s hard for me to even believe this….but here it is a little after three in the morning and it’s a balmy 66 degrees in northern Michigan!  Has spring really sprung????  Tomorrow it will all change because I am going on my big fly fishing trip and the highs are only supposed to be in the 50’s, but for right now… I’m sitting here drinking coffee with the living room window open.  It’s a reminder to me…..and can be for you too….that good things come to those who wait….patiently!  Keep that in mind if you are losing patience in waiting for your hard work to show or to see progress.
For the past couple of days I have been thinking about something that I noticed on my drive back home from Lansing on Friday; namely, the large number of wind-powered turbines that have cropped up in central Michigan in the past year or two. I’m not a science person so I’m not even sure what they are called or how they work, but I do know that they are some sort of alternative energy thing. More important to me…..sigh….is that they are just plain ‘cool’ to look at! They are massive and just captivate my attention when I see them rising out of a big empty field, spinning in rhythmic motion to the wind. I actually think I could have pulled off the side of the road just to watch them for a while, but I didn’t take the time.

I did notice, however, something about them that has spoken to me about my journey. God has used other things to teach me the same lesson, but the windmills reminded me of it again.  Let me elaborate.  I noticed that most of the windmills were spinning at what appeared to be the same speed….in the same direction.  Just steady motion….all in the same direction.  However….as the road curved slightly, I noticed that some of them were spinning in the opposite direction…..likely just because of their position in the wind, but to the untrained, unscientific eye, it just looked like they were spinning counterclockwise….going the wrong way. Perhaps not the WRONG way, but just a DIFFERENT way…..from those around them.  Some….for whatever reason ….were not moving at all and appeared to be at a standstill; that is, until I got up closer and noticed that they were spinning….just so slowly that it appeared that they were not moving at all. Others were actually doing nothing but standing there….almost as if waiting for something to get them moving. Perhaps they had a mechanical issue or were not fully functioning yet.

Sound familiar????  It didn’t take long for me to make the connection between these turbines and our journey to better health and well-being.  Sometimes it seems like we are all working at full-power….working in the same direction…..making progress towards our goal…..on a roll, if you will. Everyone around is doing the same thing and committed to a healthier lifestyle. Everything is going great; we’ve got the momentum; we’re seeing results; we’re motivated and energized and committed.  Other times, however, we feel as if we are going in the wrong direction. Spinning our wheels out of control; facing resistance and temptation; getting tired of eating good food and getting exercise; growing weary of the battle.  Perhaps we’ve gained a few pounds and the scale is heading in the wrong direction. It’s hard….plain and simple….it’s hard and we are tired. Perhaps we just want to give up.  But we don’t…..we work harder….fighting against the forces inside us that want to quit; that want to eat junk; that want to stay in bed or on the couch.  Sometimes we just feel like WE ARE THE ONLY ONE in the room that is NOT eating a piece of cake or having an ice-cream cone; we are different than those around us who are enjoying the treats and goodies. We are spinning the opposite direction.

Sometimes it even appears that we have reached a standstill in our journey. We are doing everything right….eating right….sticking to the plan….faithful with our activity…..and yet….from a distance, NOTHING appears to be happening. We’ve reached a plateau. Everyone around us is making progress…..losing weight…..recording a loss…..reaching another goal….and here we are…just standing there, doing nothing. Or so it appears from a distance….or even to others.  But…just like those windmills….if you look really close, you will see that you are making progress….just very…..slow……progress. The scale may not be moving, but you notice the difference in the way your clothes fit.  You may not feel like you are able to go any further on the treadmill or walk any further than last month, but your legs are getting stronger and you are feeling better.  Perhaps you are following doctor’s orders and trying new medication and it doesn’t appear to be helping, but give it time, and perhaps all of a sudden you will discover that you are feeling better and getting healthier. You may have reached a plateau, but be assured, that underneath, your body is working and before long, your progress will become evident. 

The most important lesson I was reminded of is this: Those windmills cannot spin on their own power. They cannot move without the wind. They are completely dependent on an outside force to spin. Just like me. I cannot do a thing on this journey without the power of God. I am completely dependent on Him to win this battle….to keep me moving in the right direction….to bring about this victory…..to keep me going.

So….today…. I will be reminding myself of these things….
  • ·         Sometimes you have to ‘go against the crowd if you want to be healthy.
  • ·         Sometimes it’s going to be easier than others to stay on track.
  • ·         Sometimes it appears that ‘nothing is happening’ but it really is….
  • ·         Sometimes….either due to illness, grief, or a life-event…..taking a ‘time-out’ is okay.
  • ·         Mostly…. I cannot do ANYTHING on my own; I am dependent on the power of the Holy Spirit to keep me moving in the right direction.



Keep on moving my friends….you can do it!

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