Keep Going

"Sometimes, the hardest part of a workout is getting up off the floor and into the shower afterward," I thought. I was staring up at the ceiling in my living room, wondering if I in fact had to go into work that morning. 

I've realized that it can actually be really hard to do stuff you like to do (like take a nice shower) because the stuff you have to do (exercise) drains you. Which is really weird. But think about it: after a hard day of work, it's super easy to veg on the couch. It's much harder to get off that couch and work on a home improvement project you're really excited about, try a new recipe, or even call a friend. Because hey, I'm really tired, and why should I have to do anything else today? Didn't I already do a lot of stuff?

And then, on the flip side, the opposite is also hard: buckling down to do boring things after you just finished some awesome, incredible things! After a youth ministry night where it was really evident that God was working, who wants to go into the office in the morning and do paperwork or go to a staff meeting? (Insert a snarky "said no one ever" comment here.) 

Basically, I conclude that life is just really hard sometimes, no matter what. But there's gotta be a life lesson in here somewhere...

I've pondered it a bit, and I think it's the "after" people who rock at life. "Stick-to-it-ive-ness," perseverance, follow-through, whatever you want to call it. It's the people who decide that yesterday's hard work doesn't count for today; that whatever happened in the previous moment doesn't give them excuses for the present; that the world doesn't owe them anything for living life to the full. 

I'll stop going all motivational speaker on you now. Basically - and I'm saying this to myself more than anyone - just get up off the floor. No more excuses. 

Here we go!

Today, I started working out. For reals this time. Because I have accountability now... shoot.

I kid, I kid... it's actually kind of awesome! One of the core team members for our youth ministry is one of those super healthy fitness-type people, and she wants to start up an exercise group as a ministry in our parish. (Can I just say how cool our core team is? And how much I love hanging out with them, just doing random things as friends?) It's really sweet, she's putting a lot of thought into it, and I really hope it gets approved by our pastor/parish council... 

But in the meantime, she's getting me going. And it kicked my butt today. 

No, really. Like, I'm a freaking wimp. 

I'll spare you the details, like how I needed to lie down in the middle of the football field at one point, to prevent puking/fainting. Actually, I guess that was basically all the details... anyway. Yes, I am only in my 20's. But it's cool. Just like everything else in my life, it'll make a great story for a youth ministry talk someday, right? Perseverance, running the race, strength in our weaknesses, humility, etc. It's chock-full of spiritually significant themes. This is the plus side of working in ministry: you can take practically every random thing that's ever happened to you, and make it mean something! Sometimes we stretch it, I'll admit. But this one is actually pretty good!

This list is my favorite thing today. Hands down.

I think that's all. Basically, I'm just kind of excited to conquer something. So yeah, I'll just keep that in mind the next time I feel like death (aka Saturday).