Persevering

I bought a set of elastic resistance bands to exercise with. I’m getting older (okay, much older), and I need to get into a shape other than ovate. I’m never going to be skinny, but I would like to get to the point that no part of my body jiggles weirdly on a bumpy road.

After thinking and researching for a month or so, I decided that the elastic bands made the most sense for me, and I had a good think about ordering them. No sense rushing into these things, you know…

The bands seemed like a nice, low impact way to begin exercising, so I fired up the Amazon machine and had a set sent to me. They arrived and I promptly let them sit on my counter for a couple of weeks. No sense rushing into these things, you know…

Finally, my frugality overcame my laziness, and I moved the bands outside to my table where they promptly sat for another few days. No sense rushing into these things, you know…

Last week I started using the bands, and sure enough, they work great. I have lost 150 pounds in the two weeks I have been using them and I seriously considering resuming my swimsuit modeling career.

Okay, I made that last part up. The bands do work great, though. I immediately found out how inflexible my joints are! I worked out with a nice lady on YouTube who could twist the elastic bands into pretzel shapes with her feet behind her head. Meanwhile, I was struggling to fit the bands over my feet and onto my ankles.

Even though I am not good at them yet, I am still going on with the exercises. I have a goal, and I can only attain it by persevering. Quitting won’t get me where I want to go.

A lot of people start out gung-ho for Jesus then slowly taper off in their zeal and dedication. They never attain the joy in Christ or the spiritual freedom they needed because they gave up.

Galatians 6:9 says, “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.”

In February I am going to turn 67 years old. I can be a fitter, trimmer 67 or I can remain a, well, not so trim, definitely not fit 67. It’s the same amount of time, it’s the amount of effort and persistence that will make the change. Effort alone won’t do it if I’m not persistent, and persistence alone won’t do anything if I don’t put in any effort.

So if you drop by my RV in the afternoon you may get the chance (misfortune?) of seeing me trying to twist an elastic band into a pretzel with my feet behind my head. Or at least, trying to get the band over my ankles. Either way, you will see me trying.