The last 18 months have been an incredible part of my journey. With some of the changes that occurred in my life, there was no room left in my life to take care of myself in the preceding two years. 2014 was one of the most difficult years I can remember ever facing. Everything seemed to have fallen a part in that year. My life could not continue on the path that I was on. I literally cried out to God, and I know he heard.
At the beginning of 2015, my life changed again. I was given an extra hour in my day – I still work a full work day, and care for a toddler, and wake up even earlier to get it all done. I had to determine how I would spend it. The options were limitless. I could sleep in. If you know me, you know that is one of my favorite past times. But I chose to get up earlier and make it to the gym. I was seriously lacking in exercise, and while walking 20 minutes each day was nice, it wasn’t enough to give me adequate exercise to clear my mind and change my body.
I’ve already had this conversation 3 times today, of friends not knowing how I fit the gym in with life being what it is. I’ve learned that it’s all about setting your priorities. My weekday morning routine is pretty much consistent. I seem to be waking up earlier and earlier as I’ve grown older, but only because I’ve needed to fit more and more into my day. I wake up and have devotion – my quiet time to connect with God and ask His guidance for my day, before the hustle and bustle begins. I’ve found that if I don’t spend those moments with God, my day has a way of going seriously awry. Then I rush to get out of the house and to catch my train. I’m in the gym at 7:30, after an hour commute. The gym is probably the one thing I do for myself each day. There’s a picture floating around on social media that states “You can’t pour from an empty cup”, with a cup with only a drop in it. I’ve found that to be true. How can I take care of anyone and all the things that I need to do, if I am running on empty? Do you drive? Do you try to drive your car on an empty tank? How far does it get you? So, my life has been a series of priorities. But that has come at the sacrifice of other things. I might watch a little less t.v., or get to bed earlier to ensure that I am up and functional when my alarm goes off before 5:30 each morning. I remember the “good old days” when my alarm went off at 6:50, not so long ago.
This workout time is also teaching me that I need to breathe. Sometimes in order to do what we need to do, we just have to stop and breathe. And when you think your body can’t go any farther, you really can. The body will want to give up long before the mind quits. Those were two of the things that my gym instructor said this morning. But this also extends past working out – it helps to give me discipline in other areas of my life.
Lord, thank you for the time I have in my day to make myself a priority. Help me to remember that it is only when I take care of myself that I can take care of others around me. Help me to make whatever sacrifices I need to make, in order to continue to do these things, and to be reminded that You should always come first in all that I do.