Marriage from A to Z

Move it or lose it!

“Move it or lose it!” This is the message that kept ringing in my ears over and over on yesterday.  I felt like God kept repeating this to me; so, I want to share it as a reminder for us all.   I planned to go walking yesterday but, as it got closer to the time, I struggled with moving.  My flesh was saying, “Don’t go!” However, my spirit was saying, “You know how good you will feel after you go.”  So, I pressed beyond how I felt at the moment, and  I went brisk walking at the Prince George’s Community College Track.

As I was walking, a lady started jogging past me, and she spoke because she thought I was someone else.  We said hello and, when I realized that she was much older than me, I said, “You go girl!” I was so blessed by her presence and the fact that she was older than me and “comfortably” jogging.  We introduced ourselves, and she mentioned that she was 73 years old and had been running all of her life. All I could say was, “Wow!”  What a powerful testimony!  At some point in her life, she learned that if she didn’t continue to move it, she would lose it!

Later in the afternoon, my mom, daughter and I went to visit my 81 year old grandmother at a rehabilitation center.  She is there to receive physical therapy and prayerfully build up her physical strength. I witnessed her and many other patients as they worked hard to move their arms and legs.  It was a real struggle.  My grandmother has lost so much of her strength from a lack of movement.  Her entire body is weak and she is prone to falling every time she tries to stand.  Unfortunately, she has had two falls within the last two weeks (please pray for her).  My grandmother’s primary caretaker is my grandfather, and he is 86 years old. For some reason, he is physically in good condition and able to move around and about with no problem.  What’s the difference?  He frequently moves.  Even though he is older than my grandmother, he has chosen to keep moving.

This week’s message is simple: Keep moving your body! Get as many steps in as you can each day.  Ask a friend to hold you accountable for moving on a regular basis.  One of the things that motivates me is having a Fitbit, which is a watch that tracks the number of steps that I make each day.  I strive for 10,000 steps a day, and I know some who do even more. Set goals for yourself and be intentional about moving each day.   If you don’t move your body, it is very easy to lose the ability to move comfortably.  Although we know that it is very important to train yourself to be godly, the Bible tells us that bodily exercise profits a little (I Timothy 4:7-8).

Until next week .  . .

Carolyn