Staying in Shape

My personal goal has never been to "make disciples of all nations."  Ever since I could remember--and in all iterations of my personal faith journey--I have cared most about people experiencing wholeness and wellness.  For me, that often includes life with Jesus.  But I won't force it on anyone else, unless they genuinely catch a spark and want to know more.

I teach both violin and piano, and it is a fact that some people are better suited to certain instruments.  For the violin, one must have a good enough ear to distinguish between almost-in-tune and perfectly-on-pitch.  You can be a very competent pianist but lack this ability on the violin.

Of course, listening skills can be developed, and perhaps it is good to counterbalance amazing sight reading skills with the discipline of memorizing notes and not using music.  If the point is to grow as a musician, then balance is necessary.  But it's also more productive sometimes to play to one's strengths.

So it is with sports.

My favorite sport is soccer, but I'm decent at basketball and volleyball.  Baseball is hard for me, and tennis is achievable but doesn't feel very natural.  In high school, I ran cross country for one summer, and it became very apparent after a few weeks of training who was beginning to sustain injuries.

Maybe some of us are naturally born with stronger joints.  Maybe some of us do better with non-contact movement, such as swimming.  Soccer may have changed my life and transformed my self-confidence, but if a friend of mine gets his high playing basketball, I'll just as happily cheer him on in shooting hoops.  Maybe he's got big hands and can control the ball very well, whereas I've always had "thunder thighs" and a weaker upper body.

If this is how "real life" works, then why do we suddenly become so exclusivist when it comes to personal faith?  Some of us may not be born with the "ear" to hear from God in a Pentecostal/charismatic manner.  Others of us may not be as good as devouring Scripture, because reading is hard.  Some of us may have a real hard time "feeling God's love"--though we ask for it repeatedly.  Others of us may instinctively embrace Divine mysteries but shudder at doctrine and morality.  Some of us have the faith to receive instant healing from God; others have the perseverance to struggle and suffer for years on end.

Julian of Norwich, a Catholic mystic who had personal encounters with Christ, is known for her phrase: "all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well."  A famous hymn goes, "It is well...with my soul."

Humans should seek to thrive, otherwise life is not worth living.

If you've been told to spend more time on the treadmill in order to get healthy, but it's giving you a leg cramp, just stop!  Try yoga instead, or go for a bike ride.  If your religion is making you feel less whole than you know you were born to be, then seek God in other ways.  God will meet you wherever you come most alive.

And, in the words of Julie Walters' character in Mamma Mia 2: "Do what makes your soul shine!"