When the cares of my heart are many your consolations cheer my soul. Psalm 94:19
Spring has arrived! It is glorious to see people out walking or running along the river path. Spring brings a freshness and renewal to life all around us. Recently, I have tried eating healthier by adding more fruits and veggies in our diet. I also recently finished an IronMan in three weeks. Yes! It took that long to bike, swim and run 140.6 miles. Not sure what inspired me or if it was a moment of insanity. However, once I had my eyes on the end goal, I did not want to give up. My husband and I also recently attended a marriage weekend called “Weekend to Remember” by Family Life. We gleaned great advice that challenged us to keep the end goal in mind. Healthy rewards are produced from a challenge, a goal and a ‘trainer’.
Challenge
In each area of my life, I need a challenge to keep me moving in the right direction. For my marriage, we try to get away for a marriage seminar to reboot and be challenged by others. For my cooking, I like trying a new recipe. For my parenting, I go to mom’s groups at my church. For my spiritual life, I try to always be in a bible study and prioritize my daily devotions Ultimately, life brings its own blend of challenges. If faced with the right end goal, these challenges can produce healthy rewards.
Goal
A goal motivates me to keep going with the end in mind. It is easy to get stuck in the race of life and overlook the big picture. My body daily reminds me that I am decaying and there will be an end. The goal physically for me is maintenance. Keeping a healthy lifestyle and a balanced diet. The goal emotionally is to maintain good relationships and have a heart of gratitude and grace. Spiritually, I establish healthy habits for the year ahead to help me fix my eyes on the eternal end and prize.
Trainer
A trainer is essential in helping me achieve my goal and sometimes provides the challenges. As I started my IronMan, it was helpful to have my running partner there to encourage me and keep me going. In my marriage and parenting, I have always looked to mentors and my mom. To keep a healthy lifestyle it is imperative to have a support system of friends and family. Spiritually, the ultimate trainer for me is the Holy Spirit. He is the one God has given to challenge me to keep going and provides the encouragement. It is up to me to take advantage of all the resources God gives – the best one being Himself! Good or bad, life’s challenges will come. When they do, I am thankful the Holy Spirit as my personal trainer to help me fix my eyes on the prize.
Healthy Rewards
Challenge. Goal. Trainer.
How am I ‘working out’ life these days? Am I listening to my personal trainer?