"What He ordains for us each moment is what is most holy, best, and most divine for us." Jean-Pierre de Caussade

Friday, November 8, 2013

Upping my Fool Quotient at the Gym

Several weeks ago when I stepped on the treadmill at Anytime Fitness, I placed my bluetooth bud in my left ear and touched "start" on my Couch to 5K app and then placed another plug in my right ear to connect to the TV in front of me.  The Andy Griffeth Show is a wonderful way to pass those minutes of torture for me. But when I pressed the button, nothing happened, and so I called the manager Bob to come over and I asked him if there was anything wrong with the TV, and he confirmed that indeed there was and the repairman would be in later that week.  So I just replaced the bud in my right ear with the other bluetooth ear piece and cranked up my music.  I have an assortment of artists on my lists, but this particular morning Daniel Bashta was singing loud and clear.

Praise the Invisible, praise the Immortal One
Praise God Incarnate, praise Father, Spirit, Son
For He is God, for He is holy
For He holds the keys to the grave
And forever He will reign

We lift our hands up higher
We raise our voice louder
To the Only Wise, Eternal King...

About 20 minutes into my "run" (I walk faster than I run), the gentleman next to me got off his treadmill and motioned to me.  I unplugged my ear piece and he said, "I'm finished here if you want to get on this one.  The TV works."  I thanked him and said, "No, but thank you.  I'm okay."  And then he said, "I like to pray when I walk, too."  

I thought, "Dang it.  Have I been singing out loud?" for as loudly as I was singing in my head, I was SURE I was not singing with my voice.  Or was I?  I don't know.

Of course, I just had to laugh at myself and chalk up another one for looking foolish to those about me.  Or rather SOUNDING foolish.

But isn't that what the Word says we sojourners are going to look like to the world.  Spectacles?  Fools?  However, I don't think it's talking about singing or praying out loud on the treadmill. I think it's saying that God's way of thinking and doing is not the world's way. Like

  • loving your enemies
  • praying for those who persecute you
  • giving up your life in order to save it
  • being last in order to be first
  • forgiving someone who doesn't ask for forgiveness
  • being kind to someone who doesn't deserve it

Just try doing one of those things and I can promise, you will look foolish to the world. But here's the upswing, you will be mighty wise in the eyes of the Lord.

Oh, you can also just pop in your earbuds, crank up the music and sing your little heart out. It worked for me.

Our dedication to Christ makes us look like fools.  
1 Corinthians 4:10

So what's your fool quotient?

Just an ordinary moment...


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