I resolve ... to exercise more

I don’t generally make New Year’s Resolutions, and this year was really no different. I had been thinking that I need to exercise more and get into better shape (more of a triangle maybe? less of a circle?), and had been thinking of starting a rather drastic diet, mostly in part due to my celiac disease, but also in an effort to establish more health-conscious eating habits. I have yet to start on that diet, as I thought it might be best to get rid of all of the Christmas chocolate first.

As far as exercise goes, I am still hoping to work those abs, legs, thighs and arms and whatever else connects all of those body parts together. But last week my exercises were less physical and more, how shall I put it, spiritual?

As a Christmas gift, I received a daily devotional book called “Jesus Calling, Enjoying Peace in His Presence”, by Sarah Young. It contains short daily readings with corresponding Scripture encouraging and nurturing one’s relationship with Jesus. So here’s a snapshot look of my past week and the daily readings that fueled my spiritual workout:

Sunday, January 6: Woke up early to drive Eric to the yard so he could leave on a trip. I should note that we needed to drive Corey’s car since our van had a meltdown on the day before. "Meltdown" accurately describes it, since the van overheated, the coolant had leaked out and the van kept stalling. Later that morning I noted that the furnace wasn’t kicking in and the inside temperature gradually kept dropping. At least it wasn’t -35 outside! I tried a number of things to re-set the furnace hoping to kick-start it, but finally caved and called a repair guy to come and take a look at it. The long and short of it was that he couldn’t fix whatever the issue was and hooked up a construction heater to heat the house through the furnace fan. Unfortunately for me it had to be plugged in to my dryer outlet and I still had one load in the washer.

The daily reading for the day:

“I am able to do far beyond all that you ask or imagine. ...Time is a trainer, teaching you to wait upon Me, to trust Me in the dark (or the cold?). The more extreme your circumstances, the more likely you are to see My Power and Glory at work in the situation. Instead of letting difficulties draw you into worrying, try to view them as setting the scene for My glorious intervention.”

Typically in a situation like this with the furnace not working, I would be a worrier, fretting constantly. I made a conscious decision to exercise my “trust” muscle, waiting on God to work it out and resting in Him to take care of us.

Monday, January 7: I actually did get some physical exercise and worked those legs, since the van was out of commission and I needed to walk to the bus stop, which is either a 6-8 minute walk to a feeder route or a 20-25 minute walk to the express route.

The daily reading for the day:

“It is impossible to praise or thank Me too much. ... When adversity strikes and you thank Me anyway, your trust in My sovereignty is a showpiece in invisible realms.”

As I walked and exercised my legs, I also exercised my “thankfulness” muscle, praying and thanking God for His sovereignty and for taking care of us in the midst of the furnace not working. It was much harder to be thankful at the end of the day when I had to write the cheque to pay the bill for the furnace repair, as it was roughly twice what I had been anticipating.

OK. Furnace fixed. Next course of business is getting the van fixed. Lord, help us get the van to the garage without it stalling or overheating!

Tuesday, January 8: The van had been dropped off at the garage Monday night without incident (and with much prayer). When I finally spoke with the mechanic Tuesday morning, he gave me the news of what needed to be repaired and gave me the estimate. This time I was anticipating a big bill, so when the amount was less, it felt like it was good news!

The daily reading for the day:

“Whenever you feel inadequate, remember that I am your ever-present Help. Hope in Me ... Hope is like a golden cord connecting you to heaven. The more you cling to this cord, the more I bear the weight of your burdens.”

When it comes to mechanical issues with the vehicles, I feel completely inadequate. I thank God that we had previously found a mechanic that we liked and trusted. I was continually exercising those hope, trust and thankfulness muscles!

The reading for January 10th really summed up the whole week for me:

“Every time you affirm your trust in Me, you put a coin into my My treasury. Thus you build up equity in preparation for days of trouble. I keep safely in My heart all trust invested in Me, with interest compounded continuously. The more you trust Me, the more I empower you to do so.

Practice trusting Me during quiet days, when nothing much seems to be happening. Then when storms come, your trust balance will be sufficient to see you through. Store up for yourself treasure in heaven, through placing your trust in Me. This practice will keep you in My Peace.”

So I guess I do have a Resolution for the new year: I resolve to keep exercising those trust, hope and thankfulness muscles. I have a God who is good to me and loves me very much!

Psalm 62:5-8
Let all that I am wait quietly before God,
for my hope is in him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress where I will not be shaken.
My victory and honor come from God alone.
He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me.
O my people, trust in him at all times.
Pour out your heart to him,
for God is our refuge.