Just Do It

I’m in the process of deciding if I want to invest in a treadmill. I love to walk, but this winter, I just can’t seem to get out on the walks I say I love to take. Oh, I can think of a zillion excuses – it’s too cold, too slushy, too icy, too late. Maybe if I had a way of walking inside, I would do it.

This week, my husband has been taking a course in the city, and I tagged along to enjoy a hotel stay/holiday. Well, I spent most of the day on my laptop (I teach an on-line course for a university) but I did manage to take 30 minutes a day in the hotel gym. I thought if I could make myself walk on the treadmill here every day, I’d have a better idea if it would work for me at home. Besides, with no horses to feed or stock waterers to check, and with the wonderful restaurant meals I’ve been enjoying, (not to mention those desserts!) I really needed to get some exercise! So down I went, in my prettiest exercise gear. I cranked the tunes and walked.

It wasn’t so bad. In fact, it was a nice break from my marking. And it gave me a great appetite for those rich desserts!

But will I keep it up at home? It is pretty easy to find other things to do. If only I could take a pill or a supplement to get ‘fit’, I’d be the first to sign up. Unfortunately, getting physically fit requires discipline, and that’s something no pill or potion can offer.

Proverbs 25:28 says, “Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control.”

When you think of it, city walls protect the residents from attack. When we lack self-control, we leave ourselves open to attack, as well. So, self-control is like a wall of protection.

“Father, it is only with Your help, that I can cultivate healthy habits of self-control. Help me today, to take one step toward that goal.”

I think I will get a treadmill – but not the kind that tells you how many more miles you have to walk to burn off the calories of a piece of Rolo Cake. I don’t really want to know that!