Walking in the Light

It all started while I was watching "American Ninja Warrior." It wasn't that the participating athletes said anything profound or new. They keep emphasizing the need to stay active. Inspired by their amazing feats of daring do, I decided to abandon my usual excuses and get active.

It's been a long time since I've been active about anything except my teeth. I do enjoy eating and it shows. For years, my excuse to not exercise the rest of me has been myoclonus (sudden, uncontrolled, and unexplained body movements.) I was convinced they increased with activity, especially if I rode the bicycle my son gave me. I allowed myself to believe any activity increased them. Then too, arthritis has crept in. I know, I know, exercise reduces arthritis symptoms, but I couldn't be bothered getting past the initial stiffness and soreness.

Living in Florida is a third excuse. The slightest movement causes sweating. I hate to sweat. Add to that it causes enormous time constraints to exercise in the morning then; shower, wash, dry, and style my hair, get dressed, eat breakfast, put on a face and be at work by 8:00. I'm one of those who the hurrier I go, the behinder I get. However, if I exercise in the evening, the endorphins keep me awake. Another excuse.

Seeing those athletes on Ninja has been a wake-up call. Many of them have serious health issues and yet, all are able to compete. Often, it's the ones with the serious health issues who go the farthest. Many of their stories have been deeply moving. Perhaps the one whose story has moved me the most is the wife of the competitor, rather than the competitor himself, although he trains by carrying her around because she has a very rare disease that has caused her connective tissue to deteriorate. At one point, she said every bone in her body was dislocated. The past two years, she's been a wheel chair and was expected to have a shortened life span. This past year, they've changed their diet and she's begun to exercise with her husband. This year, she's walking beside him! Amazing and humbling.

Armed with such inspiration, it was time to take action. It's often been said if walking is the exercise of choice, 10,000 steps a day are needed, about 1 1/2 hours of effort. Before anything is done, time must be spent studying God's Word and learning about Him. Resetting the alarm also became a necessity. No more sleeping to 6 a.m. Moved it back to 4 a.m., but often anticipate the clock and get up between 3:30 and 4.

At 5:30, armed with flashlights, we set out for the .6 mile hike around the ranch. It's ideal. Sheila and my husband leave me to it after 1 or 2 laps, but I don't mind. Being alone in the pre-dawn hour is a beautiful thing. Normally, I would be apprehensive about the lonely area between the pasture and the lake. It's dark and secluded. Every body of water in Florida has the potential to be home for gators and I really wouldn't want to meet one-daylight or dark. Coyotes sometimes run the property and I wouldn't want to meet them, either. It's also a discomforting thought that men love darkness because their deeds are evil.

Day two put that Scripture verse in perspective. The morning star was twinkling brightly overhead. One of Jesus' names is the Bright and Morning Star. Looking heavenward, I was reminded that I am never alone, even in that dark, secluded spot that could house any number of unpleasant situations. I even took a picture of the morning star and posted it on Facebook. Several complimented the picture.

Each day since has been one of communing with nature. The sunrises have been spectacular. When my brother was stationed in Ethiopia, Africa, he took movie after movie of clouds rolling over the high mountain peaks. The movies were beautiful, but enough was enough. I now understand why he did it. Every morning, the sunrises are so incredible, I just want to share them with everyone. You have to be there to really appreciate them in all their glory.

Only not with me. Where you are. I cherish my time alone. It starts my day peacefully and gratefully. I have 1 1/2 hours to pray, praising the Lord for how good He is, thanking Him for the wonderful place where I live, and asking Him to care for my family, my friends, my country, as well as all those associated with Shiloh Tabernacle Ministries, Inc. Of course, I ask for me, too.

It's next to impossible to have a private audience with a very important person and yet, every morning, I have a private audience with the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the Creator of the Universe, the Prince of Peace.  Walking in the Light as He is in the light. Life doesn't get better than this.