Gluteous Maximus Hurtimus!

This is the week just before the 5K race and walking that treadmill has gotten tedius. I was time for a change. So Monday I determined to break into a jog after my warm up. The knee screamed, "NO!" I tried to go back to a walk and the muscles around my knee just didn't like even that. Fearful I'd have to stop I got off the treadmill and slowly walked around the gym trying to calm down the muscle. On my second trip around I wound up at the elliptical machine. "Why not?" my Trainer said to me. So I stepped upon the "pedals" and tentatively started moving and realized that the knee didn't mind that. Yesterday, I was on the elliptical machine for 30 minutes and must say I was pretty proud of that. Until later that morning. How deceptive that machine is while it's moving. You think, "Oh, this isn't as hard as I thought and seems easier on the knees than walking. I can do this." At the time, that's true. However, little did I know what other muscles the evil elliptical exercise would affect. Long about 10:00 AM my(should I say it this way?)butt muscles started voicing their objections. "What's going on?" I thought. "Why do my low back and glutes hurt so much?" And then awareness dawned. I worked harder on the elliptical and other muscles also worked harder. Owww!! But, then I thought, this is a good thing. Working muscles should speak up and tell you they're working and if a little ouchness comes with it, all the better. Discipline is a painful thing sometimes; that's why it's called discipline. AND I didn't quit. That's a good thing too. The same held true when I was in the pool this morning and was talking with the Lord. I sang to Him, I prayed for others, I shared my concerns, and got nothing. "Father, you're not talking to me. That's why I come to the pool at 5:00 AM, to talk with you and listen to what you want to tell me. What's up?" He spoke then, "Daughter, I brought your friend into your journey for a reason. I haven't abandoned you, don't you abandon her. So she hasn't been working out with you these past several weeks, go talk to her. She needs to know I love her no matter what is going on in her life." Discipline. It comes in all shapes and sizes, but I know it's there for my good and when I learn from it I grow to be more like my Saviour. That's what this journey is all about, becoming more like Jesus.