Tuesday, September 27, 2011

I need to get in shape

      This blog is slightly different then my usual ones. Usually I try to write about very big, very meaning flu topics. But today I'm going to discuss getting healthy. Have no fear this is not an inspiring story of wanting to get healthy and run a marathon, it is not a low self-esteem pity party, it is not about preventing disease, and it has nothing to do with molding to society's views of how I should look. This is a realization of why I need to be healthier and take care of my body.
      I typically aspire to loose weight, as do most women, but I never really stick to a plan or work very hard. I'm mostly too busy to work hard at loosing weight. I do not particularly like my weight but I do not care to become model skinny and I refuse to be influenced by medias pressures to conform to a look that is simply not me. I have attempted many work out and diet plans, usually so that I will look better, feel better, decrease stress or whatever else they are planned for. But I usually set the bar to high and fail myself and stop trying. I've started to realize that I might be doing it for all the wrong reasons. First off we are supposed to be working at everything we do as if we are working for God. Which I have not been doing so that might have something to do with my failure. Second I've realized two reasons (these are not exclusive) why I need to get healthy, and they are for God.
    First: I need to love myself the way God loves me. Now this means I should change my expectations and view of myself so I may love myself as I am. But sometimes this also means changing myself a little to meet my expectations of myself. Keeping in mind to have reasonable expectations and loving the things that can't change of course. I do not particularly like who I am when I'm not treating my body right. I don't like that I get so grumpy when I don't sleep, or don't eat regularly. I don't like how I feel when I eat left over cookies for breakfast and pizza for dinner. I don't like how I look or feel when I don't work out, or at least get outside. So this means I need to change myself a little so I can love myself more like God loves me.
    Second (and more important): My body is a temple. A temple is a place dedicated to worship. It is also a place traditionally where God dwells. So if God is dwelling in me then why the crap am I treating myself so horribly. If the president was going to come and stay in my house I sure as heck would not be leaving it alone. I would be cleaning and fixing and remodeling and rearranging to make prefect living quarters for the president. God is not only the king of the entire universe, but he made it, and us, and loves us and died for us. And he is going to come and live in me. First off that is crazy awesome. Second I need to fix up these living quarters. Plus we are a place for worship. Worship is a way of life and we need to be healthy for that. This means being mentally healthy and stable. This means me sleeping enough so I can be kind to people share Gods love. This means eating enough so I have the strength and energy to do his work. This means eating right and exercising to make me feel good enough to do work for him. This means taking care of me.
    This is not to say that I am going to go out and run a marathon at 6 AM and go to be at 9 every night. It just means that I need to make small adjustments to be healthy. Like going to bed earlier, going out for walks, eating more salads and less cheese, etc. I need to respect and take care of what God has given me, take care of where God is dwelling, and take care of God's tool. 

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