Have you ever felt like quitting?

I think its quite natural to feel like quitting. There is that saying, "when the going gets tough the tough get going", but I think it really means that when its tough, you GO. As in, GO AWAY from the pain and suffering of how tough it is. Most people when faced with adversity think of quitting.

I've been going to physical therapy lately because of my recent accident. When I first started, we would go to the office and get massages, and treatments from the doctor and it was great. Now, it appears I've moved into the "we're going to make you hurt so bad you're going to wish you were in an auto accident instead" phase. Its horrible. It hurts. I don't like it.

When I got done with therapy on Monday, I could barely walk. Apparently there is a muscle somewhere underneath the gluteus maximus that I never knew existed. We'll, this young trainer guy found it and had me work it until my eyes were watering.

Do you know what it feels like to cry from an exercise in front of someone 10 years younger than you? Its embarrassing.

So I'm talking to the trainer, and asking if all of this is really necessary, and telling them how much I hurt and how I think it would be better if we just went home and relaxed on the couch with a heating pad. Basically, telling them that I want to quit coming to therapy because it hurts. And I don't like to hurt.

She looks at me and says "In our line of work its our job to find the part of your body that is weak, expose it, and build it up and make it stronger". She said "When you have a part of your body that is weak, it affects the whole body. You may think that this small muscle may not matter, but it does".

And then here comes the kicker. She says "You're a pastor right?". "Of course" I said thinking to myself, here comes the zinger. And she says "when you're counseling someone don't you try to find the part of them that is weak, expose it and build it up? Cause if you don't it affects the whole person?"

Wow. Deepness from the therapy place. She's so right. When we don't face those parts of our self that are weak, it affects not only us, but all of those around us. Of course we don't want to face those things about us that are not wonderful, but we must if we hope to be a person that is healthy and complete.

Is there an area of your life that you are afraid to grow? Is there a weakness that you have that needs to be built up? Ask the Lord to reveal it to you, and then work on it. Ask Him to change you in that area knowing that it will bless you and the people around you.

When one small part of the body hurts, the whole body is affected.

Work that muscle.
matt