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Confession: Growing up, I never exercised.  Never.  I didn’t play any sports (have you ever seen me try to do anything that requires hand-eye coordination?), and exercising just for the sake of exercising was too much like work.  In college I went to the gym every now and then and panted through 30 minutes on the elliptical, but still, I didn’t put any real effort into exercising. 

Fast forward to a few months into married life: I start noticing that a few of my clothes aren’t fitting like they used to and decide that I need to start running.  After a few half-hearted attempts of running with Derek and hitting up the (not so) extensive Trinity Park gym, I decided running wasn’t for me.  My comfortable, marshmellow body just couldn’t do it. 

Towards the beginning of 2010, 1 year and about 10 lbs. heavier into marital bliss, I decided it was REALLY time to start getting in shape.  Motivated by a nicer apartment complex gym, an armband for my ipod, new Nikes, and jeans that were clinging in very unappealing ways, I started exercising.  I did cardio workouts, and I was pretty happy with the results.  Coupled with counting calories (which I fought very hard for quite a while), the exercise was going well for me. 

In August I started doing an internship at my church.  As part of the internship, you have to exercise for 30 mins at least 3 times a week.  No problem.  I was already doing that.  However, I was sorely disappointed to find out that I was also expected to do strength exercises, like push-ups and lunges and other equally awful things that use weights to accomplish.  Surely it’s unnatural, and therefore unnecessary, to use weights as part of an exercise plan, right?  So it’s probably an understatement to say I wasn’t completely thrilled about starting these new workouts.

I did know, though, that my sad lack of experience with exercise didn’t qualify me as any kind of expert on the subject, so I took the advice and went with it.  And I kinda liked it.  The workouts were hard, but I could tell a difference in my body that I really liked.  And OH HEY muscles that have been waiting for some use for 23 years.  You might even say I became hardcore.  No really, feel my abs.  HA!  I kid, I kid.  I still don’t love working out while I’m doing it (because it is still a lot like work), but I really see the benefit of it and that motivates me to continue. 

This hasn’t all been only about getting my body in shape, although I have learned a lot about being healthier, (hopefully) making this aging process a little easier, and using my body the way God designed for it to be used.  This has been a spiritual lesson in other areas for me as well.  “No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way” (Hebrews 12:11).  God wants to train me and shape me into a person who hears his voice and follows him.  And it’s not always pleasant.  But it is always worth it.  And unlike doing push-ups (or mush-ups as Derek likes to call them), which I still don’t love or get excited about, I can be excited and find joy in following God and becoming spiritually disciplined as he changes my heart to want the things he wants.