A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Gym

I could have sworn that Jesus was inviting me to a spiritual workout in 2012.  The words he gave me at the beginning of the year were strength and beauty and in my finite mind, that required some bulking up. I was 
game. I so desire to be a strong women. A woman of resolve and discipline and conviction. A woman who doesn't shrink from difficulty or pain. A woman who influences and remains calm under pressure. And who looks good doing it. (What?? That's not what he meant by "beauty"?)

I thought God wanted that for me too.

But on the way to my workout things started falling apart. As I walked with
Jesus, I decided to demonstrate my current strength levels to give him a better
picture of where I needed to focus my efforts. I ventured down some dark alleys
by myself to highlight my willingness to face danger, I gave some instruction to
others to display my knowledge (I have a degree, you know), I suggested a few
workouts we could try in an attempt to show my initiative and even ran a few
sprints. I think he was impressed :).

And then it turns out, we weren't heading to the gym at all (which made my
expensive athletic wear seem a bit unnecessary). After all my antics he sat me
down and explained (for the millionth time) his plan for my strength...weakness
(which I do not have a wardrobe for).

Understandibly, I'm a bit relieved. I've been doing some research on what
kind of strength is available when I'm weak and it's way better than what I
could accomplish in a lifetime of workouts. Plus...I know weakness. I'm already
an expert.

Interestingly, my verse for the year already explained this..."strength and
beauty are in your sanctuary"--Psalm 96:6. They are not mine to possess...only
to reflect. And after reviewing God's strength compared to mine, it seems an
excellent trade.

I have to admit that I'm still figuring out what this means practically, but
Jesus promised to give me lots of reps. He also promised to show his glorious
might. Want to be my training buddy?

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