Marching to the Heartbeat of God
I realized the other day as I was leaving
the running track after my morning workout that I have never mentioned my two
very special son-in-laws to you. Yes, I
have written pages about my life with my daughters and grands, but I have neglected
to say that there are two just as wonderful men who are married to my daughters
and who are the fathers of my grands. Each of these young men have accomplished much and are
equally as wonderful—I just don’t engage in as many kid adventures or go to as
many antique malls shopping with them. Therefore, there isn’t as much adventure to
capture on paper.
I am saying all of this because one of the
most recent feats of my oldest daughter’s husband is that he loaded all of my
favorite Christian songs on my MP3 player—the player that my youngest daughter’s
husband gave me for my birthday a few years ago.
At this stage of my life, I need new invigorating songs whereby I
can lift my tired legs as I run that last lap.
Run being the debatable
word. In all reality, I am progressing
forward with a combination of a fast walk and a slow jog. Sometimes even progressing forward is
debatable. I have claimed my exercise to
be either a wog or a jalk.
It in truth is not a genuine run
anymore. And in any event, I sometimes
look just as ridiculous as the words jalk
or wog sound. ;-)
I have been taking my 3 lb weights with me as
I speed walk, and then I lay them to the side to do a short jog. My routine is not dependent on any assigned
prescription or any workout formula. I
just go with whatever the beat is to my new energizing songs. The
only “out-of-rhythm” moment I have is when I have to pause, juggle my weights, struggle
to find my pulse with my two fingers, and listen closely for my heartbeats. At this precise moment is when I am most
appreciative of my two son-in-laws. Without them, at this juncture as I juggle
it all, I would only be hearing my desperate struggle to breathe and thereby quit
my workout. But instead, I am listening to the familiar beat of my new energizing
songs, and so I have the motivation to continue on.
I have learned that as my pulse races, my
heart beats harder, and my breathing becomes more difficult, I can just turn up
the volume of my music, and all is well. I have recently developed a new routine to
help me get through. As I cool down I cease
my jog, lift my knees higher, and step my feet harder. Last week it occurred to me that what I am
actually doing during this portion of my workout is marching, as if leading a
football band. Instead of a marching
baton, I hold my two 3lbs weights strategically positioned in my arms. I am waving and directing my own band with
them for the entire world’s stadium to behold.
Twice in one week, I have been finishing up
my marching parade with the song Me Without You by Toby Mac as my
finale. It was almost as if that song
was commanding me to march back to my beginning point. It was
not so much the words to that song, but the beat. It is just great to march to! The combination of its title along with my
praise is what caused me to pause last Friday.
As I finished and walked to my car, I thought about what the title said,
and YES, Lord let me never be without you.
I concluded my marching finale and put my “batons”
back in my trunk. I dismissed my band until
the next game’s program. It was then
that I stopped and reflected back on my morning and my marching band routine. I thought to myself, Instead of marching to my own beat, wouldn’t it be great if I could always
be this attentive and listen for all my marching orders to come from God?!
Likewise, wouldn’t it be even greater if instead
of working out and finding our own pulse, we were working out our lives with
our fingers on the pulse of God! And would it not be just greater still if the
things of this world did not drown out the sound of His heartbeat!
That day it was a slow drive back home with
no music on at all. The radio did not
even need to be turned on as I thought a new concept through a little
differently. Just being “with” the Lord wasn’t all that I really
desired. Equally as desirable was for me
to be close—close enough to hear the beat of his heart. So, thanks Kevin and Brad for my new
music. You just never know when God may
call us to open the trunk, pick up our batons, and begin our marching again to the
notes of His new music and leading.
Blessings, Mimi (AKA Anne)
1 Corinthians 9:24, “Do you not know that
in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way
as to get the prize.”
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