One of the delights of having a beautiful granddaughter only
half an hour away is the opportunity to pop in for a couple of hours and give
Mum time off to do what she wants. Of course, at five months old, Flick’s
attention span is not long and each time we end up saddling up and heading out
for a walk, so she can nod off and I can get a break.
Well, I hesitate to say that as my break includes pushing a
pram up-hill. Yesterday I realized just how much strength my body has lost
since my twice-daily walks with Dusty ended. ‘Use it or lose it’ used to be a
mantra when I was growing up with regard to physical exercise, and yesterday I
was reminded of that.
Yet again I determine to take a walk at least five times a
week. To practice Pilates that often as well. To use my body so that it retains
whatever strength it has now and doesn’t deteriorate at a faster rate than it
should.
The Christian life is a journey, a way of life, and if I am
going to continue fit and strong to live the life Jesus calls me to I need to
keep flexing my spiritual muscles as well, on a daily basis. This requires more
than the odd ‘Help!’ prayer groaned or shouted in times of need. To walk in the
strength of Jesus I need to refuel daily on his Word, storing it up and relying
on it to power me forward as I encounter obstacles and challenges.
Just as my body is only as strong as recent exercise makes
it, so my spirit is only as strong as what I feed it through reading, praying,
meditating. Spending time with God tends to get side-lined in the whirlwind of
daily activities, but it is essential for building a strong spiritual core
capable of bearing many burdens, confronting evils, and discerning the right
way forward.
Then, even when the Christian walk feels like pushing a pram
up-hill, we will be fit and strong to manage.
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