PUSH.THE.PEDALS!

I had a great moment this week.  Went to work out - the gym was packed - lots of sweat in the air.

The level of intimidation for me to go work out at a gym is pretty high.  The shaking that happens when I plank could start a small earthquake.  Trying to stretch - touch my fingers to my.....ankles - while someone is stretching next to me whilst doing the splits.  Ugh.  Reconfiguring weights from someone's 150 pounds to my 15 pounds.  INTIMIDATING.  But, dang it, I'm doing this.

First, evidently one starts with CARDIO.  This is athlete talk for making your heart beat harder, faster for an extended period of time.  Sounds easy enough.  I've been doing the treadmill for, oh, six weeks now so I've got this cardio thing down.  Speed - incline - the whole thing.

Time to add....the bike...

I used one of those bikes a couple of days ago (when there were 3 people in the gym) and was successful, so I thought, I've got this - I'll do this even with a packed house.

This time I sat, I adjusted, I put my earbuds in, drank some water, put the towel close by for the anticipated sweat.  Pushed buttons.  Nothing.  Nothing happened.  No blinking lights.  No request for "manual" or "plan".  Nothing.  I gathered up my stuff - pushed the button on the bike next door - nothing.  Really?

Headed to the "women only" area - which is evidently considered the wimp zone, but who cares.  I did some treadmill time and then, cautiously, I approached......the BIKE.  Sit down.  Adjust the seat.  Take a drink.  Earbuds in.  Push the button.  Nothing.   NOTHING?   NOTHING.....until I started pushing the PEDALS.  Evidently pushing the pedals wakes up the machine somehow and the magic happens.....after you PUSH THE PEDALS.  Made me laugh.  Made me smile for all the rest of my work out.  Sweat dripping into my eyes - smiling.  People smiled back.  They didn't know that I was smiling cuz I'm such a dork.  They didn't care - they just smiled back.

So MUCH of life is like this bike.  Nothing really happens until you start pedaling.  You want to be in complete control before beginning, but nothing happens until you actually START DOING SOMETHING.  Then things start coming your way - choices and victories and defeats (but good tries).

With my outside bike, I've learned that if I'm too cautious the bike falls over.  I need momentum to achieve balance, which is evidently important in bike riding 101.  The wind in your face, laugh out loud fun does not happen until some speed is built up and you've got that hummer GOING.

So my Motivating Moment is this - don't let fear keep you from trying,  from getting on that bike (whatever that bike represents) in the first place.  Just start pedaling.  See what happens.  Some things take time, but they are worth the investment.  Don't let people or the past intimidate you from trying, or trying again!

God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and sound mind.  2 Tim. 1:7


Comments

dianne kirkwood said…
Wonderful dear, pray for us while we're pedaling thru our New Beginnings Dinner Group, I'm a little overwhelmed, it's a bit harder than what I thot trying to cook the dinner and do the lesson! Even asked God if I was really called to do this! When I got to pray with a young woman to ask Jesus into her heart, I knew the answer, the joy in my heart told me!

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