I do not work out as much as I should. Does anyone? However, when I do, I love to mix it up…I get bored quite easily. No matter how “in shape” I think I am when I do a completely new workout, I feel the burn and the after burn and the after after burn. It shouldn’t shock me but different moves use different muscles and often and those muscles get sore. Being sore is uncomfortable, but I have always kind of loved it. When I am sore that means I am building muscle and that means I am moving in the right direction. Not a body building direction but perhaps developing appendages that aren’t meant to be covered. 😉 This really is not a workout post…I don’t do those.
Recently a dear friend asked me to write a birthday message for another dear friend, both of these friends live across the ocean and spent time together in quite possibly the most beautiful country, Greece. As I was writing this message I wanted to encourage this friend during her transition from Vienna to America. At one point of surprising genius, or just letting the Holy Spirit talk, I wrote this: “Leaving Vienna is kind of like doing a totally different workout than you have ever done before and feeling pain in muscles you didn’t know you had. Fun times. 😉 However, the sweet reward of obedience far out weighs the soreness and plus you look really good after working out!”
I had never thought of transition like this before but, I really like it. In transition, which is quite the long process, new muscles are stretched and your heart hurts in strange and disconcerting ways, but it is a work out, not an illness. Transition creates overall tone, without transition and the “burn” we will never use all the muscle we were created. As one of my favorite workout gurus says, “Get comfortable being uncomfortable!” Even better is what Paul writes in James; “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
Trials ->Faith->Steadfastness->Joy
Contemplative Nomad 