Kneeling Hurts Far Less Than Marathon Running

(Reprinted from July 2, 2018)

I used to be a marathon runner. If you could see me you would be laughing now. My knees creak, my belly sags, and I moan going down stairs. But it's true. In the springtime of my life, I ran 29 marathons, a 50 miler, and lots of races from 5-18 miles. And thousands of miles to remain fit.

But after knee surgery and a prolonged bout of laziness, I am reduced to walk/jog about 30-40 minutes a day. Once healthy and fit, I now find I am tired after mowing the lawn or vacuuming the house or flicking through channels with the remote. Lesson: To retain one's physical fitness requires regular effort, through rain or snow or sleet or (recently) heat.

Likewise, I once let go of my spiritual fitness. I stopped praying, stopped caring, and started drinking to excess. I was a lost cause. Thankfully, God didn't let me stay lost among the tall weeds in the rough. He lifted me onto the fairway, drove me to the green, and led me to the hole. Lesson: To retain one's spiritual fitness requires regular effort, through anger or selfishness or envy.

I am pleased to say I am back on track with my spiritual fitness and back on the track with my physical fitness.