So after much meditation, soul searching, clearing my mind, procrastination, and beating myself up, I started working out again over the weekend. My first session was not pretty. It actually took me longer to get dressed into my workout clothes than it took me to exercise.
Why was my exercise session so short?
Because to have extended it would have meant that I would have likely died, (because I’m so out of shape). I was huffing and puffing and in intense pain after “walking” just a quarter of a mile on my treadmill. Sigh . . .
I am not however discouraged. I have faced this dilemma many times in the past and realize that I didn’t get this far out of shape in a day, nor will I get back in decent shape in a day. It will take time and effort. It will be painful; it will be arduous; it will be exasperating; it will be unpleasant; I will not like it, but in the end it will be worthwhile.
I like to say the blessing before I eat. At times I have been slack concerning this, but I’ve been working hard on consistently praying before each meal without exception. Jesus did it and so should we.
My wife does not like to speak in public and public to her means speaking in front of anyone including me. Since I was praying before each meal I encouraged her to say the blessing too, but she adamantly refused. Then I insisted that she say the blessing, and then she really dug in and defiantly said through gritted teeth that she would never do so. Finally I refused to say it and chastised her for being a pagan infidel for not having the moxie to say thank you to the Lord after all He did for her.
My guilt trip tactic worked and she said her first audible prayer asking God to bless our meal in front of someone else. Initially she spoke haltingly and I could tell she was extremely uncomfortable, but she got through it and then glared at me and chewed me out for insisting that she say it.
Subsequently every time it was her turn to say the blessing she would fight it tooth and nail, but I valiantly fought back her attacks and as time progressed she realized that I would not yield and eventually she has reluctantly accepted it, and just goes ahead and says the prayer when it’s her turn.
Interestingly her prayers are now smooth and fluid and she adds more than just a simple blessing. She delivers a very good prayer thanking God for all sorts of things in addition to our food and even petitions Him to bless our church, restore health to some of our friends, and other things. By saying prayers so often, (every other time we eat together) she has become much more comfortable and adept at it.
I was thinking that this is exactly how my exercise program will go. I don’t want to exercise; it is painful to exercise; it is boring to exercise, but I know that I need to exercise in order to be healthy. It will take some time to get to a point where I feel good about what I’m doing, (and actually be good at it), but with persistence and sticking with it day after day I know from experience I’ll get there.
Recently I ate with a buddy of mine, who as soon as our food was delivered, immediately began stuffing food in his mouth to the point that he looked like a giant squirrel with both cheeks full and bloated to capacity. He saw me and a companion looking at him in disgust and noted that we had not started our meal. Suddenly he realized that the blessing had not been said. He had so much food stuffed in his mouth that it took several minutes to chew it down to a size whereby it could be swallowed.
We patiently waited as he chomped, chomped, chomped, his was through it. His face was red as a beet and when he finally cleared the food from his mouth he sheepishly said, “Sorry” and I said the blessing.
I gave him my lecture and hope he is started on his walk towards saying grace at every meal.
It is easy enough to pray to your Father. Just thank Him for your blessings, pray for those who are not as fortunate and ask Him to bless your food. Jesus will help you and you can be assured that He is smiling and well pleased that you take the time to do so.
Remember Jesus wouldn’t have done it for our example if He didn’t want us to do it too. Saying grace won’t get you into heaven, but it is a sign of love and respect for our loving Father.
If you are not convinced, think about this: at one point my wife was arguing at the top of her lungs that she doesn’t like “public speaking”. She insisted that since she doesn’t like to do it, then she shouldn’t have to do something she doesn’t want to do. I reminded her that Jesus Christ did not want to go to the cross and in fact asked God if there was any other way to allow Him to avoid it saying, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”
This is a lesson for us all. I do plenty of things that I don’t want to do and yet out of faith and obedience surrender my will to the Lord. All Christians do. In the end it is for our own good, just like an exercise program. It will perform miracles in our lives.
Matt. 14:19
Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.