MarriedandWhatnot

This weekend I was in the backyard playing with my kids. I was racing my 4yr old, and I gave him a head start. Well, we raced a few times, then I was feeling besides myself so I challenged the oldest. Well, our backyard slopes up so we were running uphill (keep that in mind). So I gave him a head start, and BAM…we took off. I start pushing hard, and I get near the end (where the earth was rising), and I felt a charlie-horse in my right thigh…which felt more like a tear the next second, and I fell to the ground in agony. Mug still hurts till this day.

So, I was in the shower this morning, and sometimes I stretch. The water helps to ease me into it a little bit. Granted, I am no where near as flexible as I used to be because I don’t do it consistently, but lately I am on this mission to get in shape. So as I was leaning down, I felt so stiff I could barely get down. As I stared at my fingers dangling, and my goal (my toes), I felt myself inching closer and closer to my destination. Eventually I knew that if I push past that point of pain that I would be where I want to be, and be happier as a result. At that moment, this came to me.

What is the purpose of stretching? I read this article which states that as you begin to age, that your muscles begin to tighten and the range of motion in the joints can be minimized. It went on to talk about how this could put a damper on active lifestyles, and even hinder day-to-day normal motions. Tasks that used to be simple become extremely difficult. It went on to say that a regular stretching program can help lengthen your muscles and make daily living activities easier. That the more conditioned your muscles and tendons are, the less likely they will become injured. Most importantly, stretching allows for mobility. And the thing is this…it doesn’t involve a huge time commitment, but can end up giving you huge results.

These are some of the benefits of stretching…
- Reduced muscle tension
- Increased range of movement in the joints
- Enhanced muscular coordination
- Increased circulation of the blood to various parts of the body
- Increased energy levels (resulting from increased circulation)

So I thought about how this relates to the Word. I questioned why we as Christians become stagnant, then it hit me – because we are not stretching. We are not stretching towards God. We are not diligently seeking His face. We are not reading His Word. We are running uphill in life without preparing our minds/bodies first; then we push hard doing it our way and get hurt. Just like the stubbornness that I displayed thinking I didn’t need to dedicate time to stretching prior to being active, we approach life the same way. We feel like we don’t have to stretch, and we are determined (pride) to do things our way (foolishness). Just like with stretching physically, when you don’t do it consistently, it hinders day to day activities, and ultimately makes life more difficult

When you think about the larger scope, reading the Word doesn’t involve a huge time commitment, but can end up giving you great results. It literally can give you the same benefits of stretching. It can reduce (relax) muscle tension, it can increase your spiritual coordination (discernment), can increase your energy levels, and it has instructions on how to heal (pleading the blood, power of His name, faith).

I can go on and on about that, but this is a big one for me personally. Stretching towards God (reading the Word, praying, seeking His face) provides for mobility. Maybe that is why we are stagnant? We jump into life without stretching, and end up getting hurt as I did…instead of taking the time to physically (and spiritually) prepare ourselves by seeking Him first.

What do you think?