Since 2009
THE PRAYFIT DEVOTION
All Things New
"Good luck, Jimmy." And after a handshake on Friday, I walked out of physical therapy for the last time. Time flies right? After six months, the surgical site and surrounding tissues are as healed as can be. Doctors say they're not worried about the artificial disks or fusions, but they're more concerned about preserving and sparing the disks I have left. As far as therapy, I soaked up every minute. Of course, as I left I wanted them to be standing at the door waving and shouting, "You're as good as new kid, now go and conquer!" Instead, with one hand I got a long, exhaustive list of Do's and Don'ts, and with the other I got, "Good luck, Jimmy."
Aren't we glad that when Jesus heals the sinner's heart, He doesn't send us off with a list of Do's and Don'ts? He doesn't fix our problem and wish us luck with all the rest. No, He makes all things new. So new, in fact, that when God looks on our lives, He sees the life of His Son. Completely healed. Whole again. Restored. Yesterday we talked about how the chains of daily life get lighter the closer we get to the ground, but when it comes to the weight of our sin, He doesn't just make it light, He blots it white.
Your back may not be broken in pieces or held together with pins, but sometimes your life feels shattered and you feel like you're hanging on by a thread. Scars don't remind you of your weakness...but overdue bills do. So do rejection letters, pink slips and the doctor's diagnosis. Everywhere we turn we face daily, constant reminders of our need of a Savior. A Savior who makes all things new.
--Jimmy Peña
For Discussion: Thought you'd like to know the status of my back. Help me praise the Lord that I'm through PT and can begin a new stage of rehab. We often ask for prayer requests, but what praises and celebrations do YOU have to report? For what can we help you praise the Lord? Let us share your excitement! Let's give God the glory together.
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Strength and Honor
"This is what the Lord says, "Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom or the strong man boast in his strength..." --Jeremiah 9:23
With so much on my mind yesterday, I walked into my physical therapy session. Progress is slow. Parents need prayer. PrayFit at a crossroads. Swirling and swirling inside my little pea brain. After my daily evaluation, one of the therapists asked that I follow them to the other side of the center. We walked through the machines, the cable stations, and then we finally reached the free weights -- first time in a weight room in close to two years and sentimental me had to pause.
As I looked at the corner of heavy dumbbells, I immediately thought of the movie Gladiator. Remember the scene?
Maximus is about to fight the final battle. As he walked by, his men stood to salute and pay honor. So, I took a deep breath and began to walk. "Weary from battle," I limped through the dumbbell area, and I could faintly hear the iron whispering, "General", "Sir", "Strength and Honor." (Go ahead and humor me by smiling.)
As the therapist and tech worked me through my required stretching, I told them that I used to lift a lot of weight -- even wrote an article (or two) about it. While I laid on my back, they manipulated my legs about me, and I found myself looking up at the ceiling, recounting my personal records -- what I used to bench press and squat. Ah, the glory days. Then in an almost doubtful tone, the young tech said, "Oh yeah? Pretty good." I couldn't help but grin. Then the Holy Spirit spoke, "Tell him what (Who) you really lift." So I did.
"It's amazing how the Lord used those old lifting days, and still does," I began. "Today I spend my time describing the weight of God's mercy, and how it crashes down on us. These days, I try and teach others to do more with their health than just be healthy. And of all the things this body should remind us of, our frailty is one of them. All that weight merely helped me realize my smallness. Truth is, our dependence on grace is really our greatest strength."
He looked at me and nodded. I asked him to check out PrayFit.
Oh my friends, although I'm struggling to tie my shoes from a seated position (which I did for the first time yesterday, say "Amen"), I'm grateful for the weight I used to lift -- it helps me remember the weight that only HE can. And yes, as I left the weight room to go back to my therapy station, I couldn't help myself. I turned to that heavy corner, paused and said with a grin..."Strength and honor."
--Jimmy Peña
For Discussion: What does your health help you realize? How can our grasp of our weakness help us get closer to the Lord? Aren't you glad we don't have to lift the really heavy things of life?
BOOST YOUR EatQ: Using Your Mind to Maximize Weight Loss
Need a quick tactic to cut down on your calorie count? Use your non-dominant hand to eat. A recent study showed that this strategy can reduce your eating by 30%. This action breaks up the automatic hand to mouth flow. You have to think about each bite similar to writing with your opposite hand.
This mindful-eating strategy represents the tip of the iceberg for those who pick up Eat Q: Unlock the Weight-Loss Power of Emotional Intelligence, the latest literary offering by licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Susan Albers.
"EatQ is an easy, 3-step program to help you stop overeating for good and lose/manage your weight," says Albers. "I created this concept because many of my clients are whiz kids when it comes to nutrition knowledge. In fact, many of my readers could rattle off the fat grams and sugar content of every food you could imagine. But what they don't know is how to talk themselves into making the healthy choice."