Strength

In 2011 I began this blog as a journey for me to document God's healing work in the broken places of my life. My physical health was exploding into many medical issues, my mental health was frayed as my only child rebelled and moved to her estranged father's home and my soul was empty. With a sincere heart and tears flowing I begged God to intervene in my life. To do whatever He needed to do to bring me to wholeness. I remember praying that God would make my outside match my inside. Shortly thereafter, I committed to attending my Tres Dias weekend where the work began. Let me tell you, at the time, I had no idea what that would mean or the transformation that would take place in the years to come. As I start this again, there is too much to write but I hope to capture some of the pieces along the way. The Holy Spirit has delicately been prompting me to write again for a while and I have every 'intention' of doing so but day after day it had not happened. Today, surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses and experiencing several hours of hearing scripture being poured into individual lives...I could not just 'intend' any longer; I need to take action. The interesting thing about our intentions (good or bad), is that if there is no commitment and discipline the intended 'event' will not come to fruition. As I mentioned, 2011 I had mounting health issues. I began to discipline myself in my eating and physical activity. It has now become a way of life; it still requires daily action and commitment. I have friends that have encouraged me to do things I thought never possible (Warrior Dash - thank you Tracy Geiser), to participating in Sprint Triathlons (next year will the goal is the entire course) and to next month jumping out of an airplane. My physical body is not where I want it to be but it has seen significant transformation. I have grown spiritually as well but found myself stagnant. I was not committing or disciplining myself in the study of God's Word. I became spiritually empty. God gave me a vision at one point of a woman lying on the floor in a hospital gown withering away. At the time, I was the largest I had ever been in size. God whispered to me, that is you lying on the floor. While the outside of my body was exploding out of control my inner spirit was wasting away. Remember my prayer? I asked for my spirit and my body to be aligned. The spiritually fat in the title? My desire to growth in the Lord in such a way that my inner spirit radiating the glory of God would BURST from me and I be a reflection of God's glory. While I had dedicated a significant amount of time to purchasing the right kind of foods, meal prep, planning physical activities, keeping appointments with experts (coaches, trainers, nutritionists)my time with the Lord began to diminish. 1 Timothy 4:8 says, "For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come." See, it is important to remember that our body is a temple and has been bought at a price (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) but it is equally important to remember that the physical body is temporary and we have an eternal assignment. Recognizing that it is important to discipline our bodies and nourish our souls while training our spirits in righteous can be overwhelming. We can not do this alone. We need a strength beyond our own ability - we will focus on one while neglecting the other. Where does your strength come from? We need the strength of the Holy Spirit residing within us. In scripture, God references strength repeatedly. The King James Version strength is referenced 80 times. The Greek word for strength (might) is endunamoo as referenced in Ephesians 6:10 KJV "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might." We gain our strength to endure, to persevere, to learn, and to overcome by relying on the power of Christ that dwells within us--not in our own strength. In our own strength we will fall short, exhaust ourselves and grow weary. Rely on the power given to you. As I have been on this journey I have discovered that I never walk alone. God is always with me and He places different people in my life at different seasons. Each of those is part of His plan (Jeremiah 29:11) and His purpose. I am grateful for every season and the strength that I have gained by learning to be weak and His power being perfected in me. I found such encouragement today that so many lean on Philippians 4:13. Through the storms of my life God always brought that scripture to mind; to comfort, guide, and strengthen me. Still working to be spiritually fat and physically fit for the glory of God! "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13