Psalm 21

I originally intended to blog about a Psalm I discovered through Kathy; however, in my effort to conserve electricity while I ran the dryer, I did not have access to said quote from Gmail or Facebook. I do have the source, though. I could not recall which Psalm, but I thought 120 or so. It was not 120, but 121 is very close, if not better for me at this moment in time.

Psalm 121

I lift my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from?

My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber;

Indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord watches over you—the Lord is your shade at your right hand;

The sun will not harm you by day nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life;

The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

It makes me smile thinking how God is watching over me all of the time. The Maker of the universe is concerned with a sinful creature such as me? It is humbling with the right amount of self-importance.

Even more remarkable, this verse reflected my day. Last night, I decided to attend a Boot Camp class at the YMCA for a second time. This time, I was scared, because I had an idea of what to expect: partner work (I did not need a witness to my limited athletic ability) and HARD exercises (things I avoid, such as squats, push-ups, running with resistance bands and a partner holding me back, plus my two favorites: bear crawls and crab walks). So, I was worried about going but knew I’d feel better if I went. I turned to Jesus; I trusted that He would be with me and that all would be fine.

I arrived on time (luckily, the lights change quickly at 5:30 am on Friars). As class began, the instructor, Jason, said “hills.” As with most things he says, I did not fully know what this meant. I did know running up a hill would be involved. I sickly enjoy jogging up hills, so immediately I saw Jesus at work. I lift my eyes to the hills. We jogged east on Friars. I felt good; we jogged a gradual incline and came to a traffic light. I sprinted thinking we were done. On the contrary, we had just arrived at the foot of the hill. Drive up Via Las Cumbres some time and think about jogging up that. I walked most of it, because my meager attempt at jogging felt sluggish. I did not quite make it to the top of the hill. On the way down I let gravity take over. The velocity made me a little uncomfortable, but I trusted in Jesus. He will not let your foot slip. After jogging, we kicked some pads Jason held, then 5 push-ups, and completed jumping jacks while waiting in line. We grabbed one of those bars you can put weight upon. On the soccer field, we did squats/jumps and lunges. I was last, but I finished what I started (not what the others in the class completed, though). Then, he demanded bear crawls and crab walks. I only finished 1 of the 3 sets. While doing crunches, I was able to hear the song I liked last week, but was fuzzy on the details. That’s when I knew Jesus definitely wanted me at Boot Camp.

Oddly enough, I love Boot Camp. I like how it’s civilian boot camp, primarily. I also love the way I feel after the class. It’s an endorphin high. I feel pumped and ready to tackle the day. I don’t hit a wall of exhaustion in the afternoon. My brain is still tired, but overall, I’m less drained. I used to have a rule that I would not wake up before 6 a.m. by all means possible. This rule softened once I started believing in Jesus. I decided to meet Kristen at 6 a.m.; I woke up at 5:50, rolled out of bed, put on some clothes, and stumbled half asleep to the car. Then I moved, so now I wake up at 5:36 for the same process. Then I thought, hey why don’t I try this class that starts at 5:30 a.m. That fits my schedule better than the Pilates class from 6-7. I enjoyed the Pilates class, but I needed a challenge. I cannot challenge myself, so Jesus gives me the tools to challenge myself, and by his Grace, I enjoy it.

Praise Jesus for keeping me from harm, even when I’m my own enemy.

P.S. Kathy quoted Psalm 32:8.