Joyful Transformation

It rained yesterday…..it rained all day and all night. I woke up to the sound of wind and rain and decided not to go the gym. I am enjoying having the house to myself, (but I am grateful it is a temporary thing.)

When I got home I knew that I had to work out. I have a little mini-gym in my basement that is actually pretty well equipped. I can not get in the habit of skipping days and not do anything to make up. So I changed clothes and went to work….working out. I was full of self talk. You know, “this is so much better than that class, I am getting to work out all of my body parts…and I am not having to do the things I don’t like (running and jumping jacks)”. I was feeling pretty smug and was already setting up my work-out plan for the coming week. ..

Then I got on the leg press machine. I always alternate calf presses with my leg presses and I don’t have to release the bar on the calf presses, I just push the weight up. Well on the second set I went straight to calf presses and when I finished and let my legs down, I realized too late that I had not put the stop bar back in place. So I am laying at a 45° angle with my knees in my face and my feet trying to hold up 180 lbs. No matter how I try I can’t push this weight back up, I just can’t get the leverage. I cry out, “Help me God, I am going to break my feet!” I try raising up my body and pushing with my arms, but still I cannot get a good angle to push. OK, Miss Smarty Pants, here you are home alone miles away from your nearest neighbor, no phone within reach and you are about to break both of your feet! What were you saying about working out alone?

In a last desperate attempt my shoe started slipping off of my foot, impulsively I pulled both feet out of my shoes and fortunately the shoes held the machine up. Whew, that was too close for my comfort! I was able to push the machine up to the first stop with my hips (picture it if you must it had to be hilarious) thenI pushed up with my feet as usual and left it alone!!

God did not make us to live in a vacuum. He instilled in us the need and the desire to spend our time and our lives with other people. Sometimes we just need them to get us out of a jam, but sometimes we need their encouragement, their smiles and their love just to pull us through. I still may work out by myself in my basement, but I will know that I need people, and I appreciate having them around when I get myself in trouble!