Hitting the Brick Wall

I remember my initiation into the sport of down-hill skiing. I must have been about 12 years old. The mountains of North Carolina were close to home and seemed to challenge us to a run on their snowy slopes. You should know that at 12 years old I seemed to fear anything out of the ordinary.I feared airplanes, natural disasters, and most especially the disease of the month thoroughly described in my mother's ladies magazine. (I believe my mother actually discontinued the subscription after the umpteenth time that I finished an article and began exhibiting every sign and symptom of the latest disease.) Sadly, my fears also extended into recreational activities, in particular those activities involving speed and loss of control!


While my family and I climbed into our new ski apparel, I imagined poking my eye out with the ski pole, or going off the side of the mountain, or losing toes to frost-bite(another article I read). The ski instructors reassured all of us and even pointed out the hay stacks at the bottom of the slope "just in case" you can't stop. That seemed to assuage my fears long enough to get me out to the bunny slope. Snow-plow down, go back up, snow-plow down, go back up. You get the picture, definitely not Winter Olympic material. But my mom, she was brave. She promptly took off for the first hill. She made her way to the top and began zipping along right down the slope. I looked over and said to myself "I don't think she is going to stop! Good thing there is that hay down there!" She used the man-made wall to complete her run. And then she got up...bloody nose and all. That seemingly soft wall of hay was actually a solid block , no actually a solid wall of ice! It stopped her alright. But good humored mom that she was, she just wiped her nose and giggled her way to the lodge. At least it gave me a good excuse to get my, now sure to be semi-frozen, toes out of the boots and in front of the blazing fire. Mom was ok and I liked it much better inside.


Ever hit a brick wall? (or a frozen block of hay?) I seem to be running into that wall lately. If truth be told, it seems to be a wall I may have erected myself. Beginning my walk to good health was a breeze and I too was "zipping along" at full speed. Then after a good run, I hit the brick wall. I seem to have lost the same three pounds several times now.It isn't that I have given up, I just seem to have lost more steam than pounds. So how do you stay motivated to continue a life-time plan for living well?

Here are some of the things the Lord has shown me as I have been searching the Word on how to stay motivated:
-Quit relying on my own strength.
1 Chronicles 16:11 "Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always."

-Stop making this all about me.
Acts 20:24 "However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace."

-Remain steadfast
Psalm 57:7:My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music.

I looked up steadfast and here is what it says:
1.fixed in direction; steadily directed: a steadfast gaze.
2.firm in purpose, resolution, faith, attachment, etc., as a person: a steadfast friend.
3.unwavering, as resolution, faith, adherence, etc
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 06 Nov. 2007. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/steadfast>.


What power in the word steadfast! Fixed, firm, and unwavering! Sounds a lot like a Savior I know.

Lord, keep my eyes fixed on you, "the author and perfecter of my faith"(Hebrews 12:2). It is through your strength that I can break and even avoid brick walls. Remind me when I focus too much on my own body, that it is not my own, but was "bought at a price"(1 Cor.6:19-20). And Lord, help me follow your example, remaining steadfast! Thank you Lord!
Praise Him!

Tell me how you stay motivated!