The Push

Sometimes I need a little push up the hill just to keep going.

I was thinking about this while torturing myself on the treadmill yesterday. Because I love visuals and generally need pictures to understand most things (I’m kinda simple that way ☺)…AND because I kept trying to pull from a place of inspiration while torturing myself on the treadmill…my mind immediately took me back to an episode of The Biggest Loser I watched not long ago.

It was a tough challenge for the contestants, and one involving a hill. Though difficult for everyone, one of the heaviest men was having a particularly hard time getting up the hill, and everyone knew it. Right as he was beginning to really struggle, someone came up behind him and applied their strength to his will, pushing him with both hands on his back until he finally got to the top. It was a great t.v. moment and an even better “life” moment for me, from the view from my bonus room recliner.

And so…on the treadmill torturing myself…I thought back to that episode and how applicable it was to my life right now. I won’t lie to you. This past week was a tough one for me. Emotionally, spiritually, physically…in every way. My soul has been weary. There are some huge ministry undertakings in front of me and I am tired, just thinking about them. Thankful. Humbled. But tired.

This blog is about real life, ya’ll, and I’m living it. My life is blessed. But it is not perfect.

Not only has this been a tough week, but in the past few weeks I have been taking needed inventory into how I spend my time and what things I might need to cut out in order to save my sanity and be truly effective for the Kingdom and to my family. In my personal analysis, I have to admit to you that one of the thoughts I have had was whether or not I should continue on with my blog. Don’t get me wrong…I love communicating with you, my friends, this way. I love sharing my heart and things God impresses on me to put out there. (And please know that I am not looking for personal endorsements here ☺). Truly, I am honored you take time to read anything I have to say and I pray that it in some way draws you to the One who is the source of anything good in my life. But I wouldn’t be wise if I didn’t evaluate from time to time if it merited keeping up with.

And this week, I really wondered.

Combined with the rough week and the ministry endeavors in front of me, my wondering left me weakened and in a serious place of contemplation.

And then came the push, from an unexpected source.

All the way from Canada, I received an email from a woman, requesting me to come and speak. She wrote of being a church planter and the incredible vision she and her husband have to reach a different type of person than might be on the cover of Good Christian Magazine(were there such a one). Immediately, I shared her passion and her heart. But what came next touched me in ways she probably never expected…

She wrote of a fall sabbatical she and her family took through Europe and how reading my blog every week was like “water for the soul” while she was away from other family and friends. She expressed how much she needed that and how it blessed her life. I don’t know if she meant to encourage me, but she did. In fact, she did even more. She watered MY soul by her sweet words of affirmation. What she wrote touched me in just the right places at just the right time.

Her words…His push.

Just what I needed to get up my momentary life “hill.”

And I remembered that it is ok to be tired. And it’s ok to take inventory. And it’s even ok to feel like I can’t do anything more. Because that’s the time that He can show just how much He can.

{ “my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." II Corinthians 12:19}

I write all this to come to this conclusion. Friends, keep going. Never stop working for the Kingdom, even when you want to. Put one step in front of the other and move forward. You never know whose life you might be influencing or who you may be inspiring. You will NEVER know if you stop.

I’m taking my own counsel, by the way. Thanks to my moment on the treadmill…my friend from Canada…and God knowing just when to give me that little push.