The average month has 30.42 days in it, which means I make approximately 26.42 excuses daily for not using my gym membership. (Ok, it's not quite that bad...every month anyway...) In any case, this week I am going to chronicle the excuses as I make them up. Then you can decide whether or not they are valid.
Yesterday (Sunday) I did not go to the gym, but I did take about an hour-long bike ride on my new bike! (Ain't she purdy??) It wasn't necessarily rigorous exercise, but it's definitely better than just sitting on the couch, right? (Which is exactly what I did the other 61.5 hours of this weekend.) Note that I did not use the "day of rest" excuse. That will be reserved for another Sunday.
Tonight, I had really good intentions, but I'm instead going to watch co-workers play volleyball. I like volleyball, I like beer, and I haven't hung out with my co-workers in, well, 41 minutes.
Also on my mind: this article. Read it first before going on, pay attention to the part about Islam, and answer this question: What would you do in their situation?
Go on, read it!
Really!!
I gotta be honest with you, the thought of being in this situation terrifies me. It's really easy for me to sit here and say, "I would never denounce my faith," but how do I know? I've also never been held at gunpoint, and I have no idea what my reaction would be. This morning, I found myself thinking, well, it doesn't matter, they would be empty words anyway. I quickly realized how unimportant that is. Would I be so scared for my life that I would lose any trust I have in God?
I think about Peter denying Jesus, and how we say we would never do the same thing. Well, Peter said that too! I find myself more sympathetic to Peter than I used to be...he was fearing for his life. He didn't know what would happen. He didn't understand all the things that Jesus had said during his ministry the way that we understand them today. I can't say I wouldn't have reacted the same way. I'm thankful that God is bigger than my doubts.
Anyway, just something to think about. Please leave comments.
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While living alone in Pittsburgh I was mugged at gunpoint outside my apartment one night. (Okay, technically he didn't *point* the gun at me, but it was right there, anyway, scaring the bejeebers out of me.)
As soon as I saw the gun, inside I freaked out. I stood there stammering. He didn't even have to ask for my wallet, I just got it out and handed it over.
It was the second time I've been mugged. After the first time (when I was 14), I thought a lot about what I would do if it happened again. Mostly I imagined turning into Bruce Lee, or at best just walking away.
But what I did was stand there shaking and hand over my wallet and try desperately not to wet myself. And I did not in the least even think about God or put my trust in him. I was too panicked to think straight about anything.
Since then I've thought about that a lot (a LOT!). I think I handled mugging #2 well enough from a worldly standpoint, in large part because I had thought so much about being mugged. And when mugging #3 happens, I hope to do even better, to hold tightly to the hope that I have, even in danger.
Sitting in my safe American home with the doors locked, I can say "I would rather die than deny my faith." But the night I was mugged, I wasn't ready to die for anything. I wanted to live!
I hadn't even gotten a chance to use my gym membership!
:-)
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