I had a great day today. One of my church members came by the office to share how God was working in his life. He shared deeply and it was clear that God is taking him to a new place.
After he finished sharing and telling about what God is doing for him, he said “Now, I have something I want you to do for me?”
Thank always makes me nervous. I don’t know whether I will be asked to bless a camel or explain the details of the trinity (which I still can’t fully comprehend after 6 years of active ministry and 3 years of seminary). So I wavered a bit when I replied: “What do you want?”
“I want you to come start working out with me every day.” This guy is the manager at a local gym. I have been by to tour the place and have thought about getting a membership and working out. But I never quite found the time. “Look,” he said, “I’m there working out every day and you will feel a whole lot better if you’ll start working out. We’ll do 45 minutes or so — 30 minutes of cardio and 15 working on a muscle group…”
Of course I said yes. I desperately need exercise and to try and get this inner tube from around my waist. So tommorow, after I drop Grace off at school, I’m heading to the gym for our first workout. Given my last experience with exercise (may ankle still aches a bit) I’m worried about how I will injure myself. But I’m excited, mainly because a person that I served loved me enough to hold me accountable and to say, “Come on . . . I’ll help you out.”
He isn’t the first. Another church member who reads this blog became worried when I talked about how tired I was. “What can I do for you,” she asked? She shared that she was a professional organizer and would help me to get life in order if I needed it (and of course, I certainly do!),
Isn’t this what community is supposed to be about? Isn’t this what it means to bear one another’s burdens? How did I ever get so lucky to receive such grace?
This job has its difficulties and problems. But there are some really cool days too!
Did I mention the young woman who called tonight and said that no less than 10 of my folks welcomed her this past Sunday?
Only Wonder Understands 