I was wandering the halls of an unfamiliar chapel Sunday with a cranky child who had been deprived of her nap in favor of supporting a dear friend on a happy occasion. I looked into the RS room and saw a sign advertising a meeting. This is what I thought it said: Peace through Perspiration. I thought about that for a minute and my brain began to take me on a tour of memories of the peace I have found while running, when I re-read the sign and found that it really said: Peace through Preparation. Okay, far more predictable title, when further on the sign, it seems the meeting was about emergency preparedness. But my mind was off and running. There have been many times in my life as a mother of young children when I have felt specifically counseled by the Spirit to run, to exercise, to be physically active without my children on a regular basis. For me this activity is almost always running. I run regularly with two dear friends (separate friends on different days). I treasure those conversations and the ability we have to vent, gab, brainstorm, counsel and garner/give support. I feel refreshed, renewed and strengthened by these runs, far more than the actual cardiovascular benefits. Oftentimes, especially lately, that run is my only time during the day when I don't have anyone small hanging off me or demanding my time. It is my only purely selfish time of the day. But I have slowly learned (slowly, because sometimes I am not all that smart) that this time feeds my spirit and allows me the ability to be less selfish and more giving to my family and to others--it prepares my spirit, it refills my emotional pitcher as it were with what I need to begin again.
But here's where the preparation part comes in. If I don't lay out my clothes, watch, etc etc the night before and make firm plans with someone else, I am more likely to ditch the run in favor of more sleep (which I will never get because invariably someone wakes up extra early because I didn't). I'm trying to re-work some more exercise time into my day so that I can have a better weight training program because my body needs strength and my self-esteem hates back fat. But I have yet to be able to find the key preparation elements that will help me to make this new activity work into my day and my life. The preparation is off, the peace has no possibility of coming because I am not doing what I need to do.
Amazing what I can get out of a sign read wrong, huh?
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3 comments:
That's funny that you read it wrong, but I guess it's something your brain needed to revisit! I'm a firm believer in some sort of alone time for mom. I don't get it every day, but it helps so much when I do. And yes, careful preparation is always a must. When I used to go to the gym in the morning, I would set out everything the night before. Then if I chickened out and slept in, my shoes, water bottle, and iPod were there when I woke up to taunt me all day for being lazy.
Good luck on your own quest to make exercising work on a regular basis!
I'm the same way about working out. I really feel like it's my only time to be alone and actually clear my mind and work my body at the same time. Soooo needed in mommy world. That's why I can't believe I've done this whole church workout group with kids included for over a year!
Here's to peace in perspiration
I totally agree with what you said. I need my alone time and some of my favorite alone time is working out. In fact if I couldn't be alone to workout I wouldn't even go...which is stupid I know!
Now I do the whole workout at the church and kids are running around...no alone time...but at least I'm working out and doing a little missionary work at the same time, right?
hee hee...good luck!
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