Open a Door That No Man Can Shut...

So, Friendo here (i.e., Sierra, my 24lb human daughter), recently discovered the doggy door.  For a while she has known about the doggy door and has been throwing her toys out the plastic flap only to land outside – out of reach and in Bobo’s (our 8lb dog’s) way of getting back into the house.

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A Few French Fries Short of a Happy Meal.

Have you ever known someone who is good at “bending the truth”?  You know, little things that seem really small and insignificant until they start to pile up and become big? 

I realize that we all exaggerate to some degree.   Yes, I do believe that exaggeration is just another form of lying and Yes, I do it quite a bit myself… about 1,000 times a day (exaggeration of course).  

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Pedal Pusher.

It has been a while now that my 3-year-old, my 36 pounder, first-born, Friendo - Sierra Starr – has been trying to ride her bike.  Actually, it has been a very long time.  Her grandparents bought her this cool bike last year with training wheels, sparkles, pink, – the whole nine yards.  However, it is the kind of bike that when you pedal backwards it is the break and she kept trying, for whatever reason, to pedal backwards.

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The Journey.

  The road was long, bumpy and full of potholes. It was hot outside and I wanted to go home. I was tired of the journey. I was weary of the same scenery. Nothing seemed to change. It was all desert. Here and there would be a small stream, but it was never enough. It was only enough to keep me moving, to keep me pressing on.

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It Doesn't Kick In Until Later...

So, I’ve been trying my best to work out more lately.  Trying to get into shape, or should I say, a different shape.  haha  Either way, I have spent more time at the gym than I have in the past.  I actually have started to enjoy it.  I am not confident that it is changing my shape, but at least I am going.

 

At the same time, I have been going through some difficult weeks dealing with “stuff”.  You know, the stuff that “weighs heavy on the heart”, “our cross to bear”, “issues in life”, …stuff like that.  It is always difficult when you go through “trying times” because it almost always involves other people.  Sometimes it is people you don’t like, sometimes it is people you love.  Either way, it is difficult.

 

Back to my workout stuff – - -

 

I worked out again last night.  Went to some class called “Hard Bodies”.  (I found that humorous since I am in no way a “hard body” and neither were 90% of the other people.  That must be why we are all there… but that’s off the topic. . . .) I went to the class, which by the way was one L-O-N-G hour, and then I worked on cardio for another 20 minutes after that.  When I left, I thought, “Wow, I actually feel okay after that workout.  I don’t think it bothered me too much.  My muscles (or what should be muscles) feel not too tired and sore.  I can actually move! Ha! Finally!”

Yeah, that didn’t last long.  I woke up this morning as sore as can be…. and in places I didn’t think I had even worked on!  Agh!  Dang, that stinks. 

 

I thought I’d made it through unscathed and no chance of being sore!  …I must’ve been dreaming.  I’m sore, I’m tired, I don’t ever want to work out again.  haha

 

But as I sit here at my desk this morning, I realized that when I “go through stuff”, when my “heart is heavy” or when I have “trying times”, I can sometimes go through things and think I am unscathed.  But I’m not, sometimes it takes a while for me to see the affects of stuff happening around me.  When people say things that hurt – it apparently takes a little bit for the weight of it to grab hold.  When actions of others seem to be opposite of what you thought they’d be – it takes a while to realize it hurts.

 

Luckily, that’s where God steps in.  I read a quote that says, “Every irritation is an invitation for elevation.”  God will give me peace when I stay in His presence.  I will have peace beyond all understand and joy beyond all measure when I can realize that my “irritation” is just an open door for “elevation”, an open door to grow a little bit more, to trust a little bit more, to walk in faith a little bit more.  It may weigh heavy on my heart, but that’s my own fault if I don’t hand it to God. 

 

I choose to hand it to God.  I choose to accept my “irritations” in life so that I can be elevated to new places.  I’m okay with being sore.  I know that there is an outcome.  I know that the “shape” of my life will change.  It may not be as fast as I want it, but it will happen when I’m consistent, if I’m faithful.