Fitness & Faith

Hey friends, Amanda Siebrand shared this article with me. Her sister Monica wrote it. I liked it so much I asked Amanda if I could share it on my weekly blog. She said her sister would be honored to have me share it. I hope you enjoy it and I hope it inspires you.

Fitness & Faith
By: Monica Turpin, CFL-2 at Best Dam Crossfit

"I'm too _____ to start"

When I invite people to Crossfit, often their eyes get a deer-caught-in-headlights look as they scramble to explain that they are too _____ for that. That blank is often filled with words like "out-of-shape", "old", "busy", "injured" or "weak". It is so similar to the experience of inviting someone to church. They demur that they are "too busy" or "They don't let people like me in there!", or "I need to clean my life up first".

I guess they imagine that everyone else inside those doors has it all together and that they lead perfectly ordered, healthy and disciplined lives, when in fact every single one of us has our own story of brokenness, of need, inferiority or failure.

The reality is "[An invitation] is just one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread." You can't move forward until you prioritize your foundational, basic needs. Your friends inviting you to church or the gym aren't inviting you to an awards ceremony for perfect people. They are offering to share their own lifeline.

Faith and Fitness are both pursuits rooted in contradiction to our natural tendencies. Whether you're facing a challenge of the spirit or the body, a community offering acceptance along with loving accountability and guidance is often what we avoid and most need.

When we are too busy, the best way to step out of the fray is by actually setting aside an hour to pray and work out. Suddenly, the schedule and the priorities fall into place, and we can tackle responsibility with clarity.

When we feel insecure and guilty for veering off-course for too long, the hardest thing to do is face it and start the slow journey towards redemption. It isn't glamorous. It's simple. But, it's a decision that has to be made every single day for it to have the desired cumulative effect.

So, consider this your open invitation. You aren't too _____ to walk in the door.

2 Corinthians 12:9 "But he said unto me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ's power may rest on me."