I was humbled because they prayed

The new year always brings a new crop of recruits to gyms all over our world who have made resolutions to get in shape. Wonderful! I love it when people who are unhappy with their level of fitness and/or body type decide to do something about it. It's beautiful to see people change.

Even though I'm a guy who's always been athletic, and who only once, for four months of my life was overweight (and it was muscle mass), I empathize with those of us who do struggle with poor health and/or excessive weight. All of us struggle with some weaknesses or deficiency in our lives, and as a result I can understand the struggles of the fitness challenged.

Yesterday, while working out at my gym, I observed two young women who I'd seen a few days before, but not at any other time during the three years that I've been a member of this facility. They're both attractive, African American women who look to be in their mid-twenties, and are both overweight. Apparently, they decided to begin an effort to get in better shape in the new year, and possibly, to do it together.

I've observed them walk the track and on treadmills, stretching, and working out on Nautilus weight machines, but yesterday they did something that I believe trumps anything movement that they can EVER perform in their fitness efforts, and it touched me more than ANYTHING I've ever seen ANYONE do while working out: I was humbled because they prayed.

They both stepped onto treadmills positioned aside one another and, before beginning their walk, they prayed. I couldn't hear anything specific, but I imagine their prayer went something like this: "Lord thank you for this time to work out, in order to get in better shape. Thank you for the wonderful facility and the equipment that is provided for us to use in this effort. Thank you that we have the privilege of working out together, to encourage one another and help each other to reach our goals. Help us to do our best today".

I don't know what they prayed, but I know that it will change their lives.

In a world that still touts "survival of the fittest", and in which gyms are filled with ultra fit folk who bend, jump, stretch, lift and sweat in such a way that it seems like some art form, and who often go through their lives as if those not as fit as them are somehow inferior to them (we've all seen or BEEN the type), these two chicks changed the landscape of our gym by asking God to help them discover the athlete in them.

No showboating there. No muscle flexing for oneself. No bragging about how fast they can run a mile or how limber they are. Just, "Lord, help me to even give a damn", or something like that.

I've often prayed before I began my workouts, but not always, thanking God for the privilege and asking for Him to strengthen me on days when I didn't feel like the shit, but I'd never seen anyone else do it.

I'm so thankful to have seen them do it, and that those around us saw them too. Somehow, it might change our focus from how "fit and fine we are outside" to how beautiful God desires that we be inside as well.

If you can understand where I'm coming from, you understand that I was humbled when they prayed.