Life of Pride
Monday, January 08, 2007
Do you know what a blessing it is to be able to exercise hard? What a joy it is to run that first lap on the track at the gym after I am warmed up, when it feels like flying! How wonderful to feel the strength coming back into my body.
After last year, I cherish every moment of exercise. Last spring I was getting back into Tae Kwon Do in order to earn my 2nd dan black belt. Just as it started to feel comfortable again, I developed a muscular imbalance. A tendon on the side of my right leg tightened up, pulling my kneecap slightly off and bringing back the familiar patellar pain from when I was eighteen. For a month or more I couldn't bend or straighten my knee without feeling a serious jolt in the front of the joint. I could hardly walk, never mind exercise. Standing up or sitting down was a nerve-wracking event.
Then we had the trouble diagnosed, and I went through physical therapy successfully. My full freedom of motion regained, I entered the summer Frisbee league for the St. Louis area. I was the worst on the team because I was most out of shape, but after a few months I had improved enough to hold my own. Then three weeks before I returned to school, I broke my ankle in a game. Again, no serious exercise was possible.
A new college semester is not a good time to begin an exercise program, especially when one is producing a play. Still, I managed to keep up a maintenance level fairly well.
I entered break hopefully, with big plans to dive into exercise. However, I also entered break with a serious cough, which only became worse. My left lung wheezed audibly when I breathed. Again, I could hardly walk, never mind run. Finally, after ten days and a batch of antibiotics, my lungs were clear enough to exercise.
So here I am. Temporarily at least, my body is functioning and healthy. I am enjoying every second of it and praising God. And you know the funny part of it? I praise God for the unhealthy times as well, and this is why:
- My knee trouble in the spring occurred while I was writing my 99-page history project, keeping me from spending certain hours exercising in the gym. I used all that "free" time, all the way up to my deadline, to finish my project. Literally. I had just enough time.
- The week before I broke my ankle, I had the opportunity to go to a pub with members of my Frisbee team and talk to them about God and Christianity. The two weeks after I broke my ankle, I drove the half an hour to cheer for my team even though I couldn't play. Those people were amazed that I took the trouble. I don't know how God will use that, but at the very least it gave me a chance to show my friends that I did indeed care for them.
- Also, I was so broken down in every way when I came home for break, and I had all sorts of huge plans that would have exhausted me further. God made me rest instead; I must have slept twelve hours a night those first ten days. Since it was beyond my control, I could rest guilt-free.
God is good.
After last year, I cherish every moment of exercise. Last spring I was getting back into Tae Kwon Do in order to earn my 2nd dan black belt. Just as it started to feel comfortable again, I developed a muscular imbalance. A tendon on the side of my right leg tightened up, pulling my kneecap slightly off and bringing back the familiar patellar pain from when I was eighteen. For a month or more I couldn't bend or straighten my knee without feeling a serious jolt in the front of the joint. I could hardly walk, never mind exercise. Standing up or sitting down was a nerve-wracking event.
Then we had the trouble diagnosed, and I went through physical therapy successfully. My full freedom of motion regained, I entered the summer Frisbee league for the St. Louis area. I was the worst on the team because I was most out of shape, but after a few months I had improved enough to hold my own. Then three weeks before I returned to school, I broke my ankle in a game. Again, no serious exercise was possible.
A new college semester is not a good time to begin an exercise program, especially when one is producing a play. Still, I managed to keep up a maintenance level fairly well.
I entered break hopefully, with big plans to dive into exercise. However, I also entered break with a serious cough, which only became worse. My left lung wheezed audibly when I breathed. Again, I could hardly walk, never mind run. Finally, after ten days and a batch of antibiotics, my lungs were clear enough to exercise.
So here I am. Temporarily at least, my body is functioning and healthy. I am enjoying every second of it and praising God. And you know the funny part of it? I praise God for the unhealthy times as well, and this is why:
- My knee trouble in the spring occurred while I was writing my 99-page history project, keeping me from spending certain hours exercising in the gym. I used all that "free" time, all the way up to my deadline, to finish my project. Literally. I had just enough time.
- The week before I broke my ankle, I had the opportunity to go to a pub with members of my Frisbee team and talk to them about God and Christianity. The two weeks after I broke my ankle, I drove the half an hour to cheer for my team even though I couldn't play. Those people were amazed that I took the trouble. I don't know how God will use that, but at the very least it gave me a chance to show my friends that I did indeed care for them.
- Also, I was so broken down in every way when I came home for break, and I had all sorts of huge plans that would have exhausted me further. God made me rest instead; I must have slept twelve hours a night those first ten days. Since it was beyond my control, I could rest guilt-free.
God is good.
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