My Road to Fitness

My Road
( to Fitness)

Isa 40:29-31 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. (30) Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: (31) But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.



Two thousand pounds ago I felt really great! I was young, ambitious and ready to conquer any obstacle in my pathway. Amazing how far away those days can seem now as I reflect back on the adventures of this once “fair maiden.” My name is Phyllis --I am sixty five years of age (notice that I didn’t say old) and I weigh 256 pounds compounded by the fact that I am barely five foot one inch tall. My weight problems began day one when I entered into this dimension weighing in at nine pounds and eight ounces! This was quite a problem for my petite little mother but it was also the beginning of a very long relationship with food and those things called diets. Through the years of my life, I truly believe that I have lost and gained enough poundage to equate to those two thousand pounds previously mentioned.

I am a retired nurse. I’ve been in the medical profession as long as I can remember; I tell everyone “I was born at home (true) but raised in a hospital (also true)”. I have helped people in the food recovery processes, taught nutrition principals to my patients and helped people with special diets for nearly twenty years. Since I retired a few years ago my weight just kept creeping up, up, up and away. I found my self in denial so much that I avoided every full length mirror in the house and any one who had a camera in their hands. I don’t know truly how long this went on but one day I found myself barely able to walk across the room without huffing and puffing – I was far from comfortable with myself and I quietly said; “Lord, I don’t want to be like this – it just doesn’t agree with your promises for me. Help me!

Little things started happening: first I turned sixty five, second I started receiving all this junk mail from the entire list of Medicare insurance companies and third I actually signed up with one of them. When you do that they welcome you with two arm loads of books regarding their programs! I just put them into my do sometime in the future corner stack. The next thing, the fourth thing -- I found myself reading in the book of Isaiah and those very familiar words at the top of this page came alive. Let me share one thing with you first; I recently read a book by an old preacher who said “I live between the Holy buts.” Now this struck a cord with me when I read the passage from Isaiah – here I am feeling weak and this verse says “He gives power to the faint” and “to those who have no might He increases their strength” I noticed it said that even the youth shall faint and the young men shall utterly fall – do you see that first word in verse 31? There it is – the Holy but theory! You see, I was faint hearted, I was down cast, and I was many things but there was my answer: if I would cling to Him, I would receive new strength, and I would be lifted up and no longer faint or be weary because He will lift me above the obstacles. I can be like that young girl only this time I’ll not have to do things in my own power but through the power of the One who gives me permission to say to this mountain “be gone” and it shall utterly be removed!

Now, let me take you back to the Medicare thing I previously mentioned. It is called “Silver Sneakers” and this program became known to me shortly after reading the verses in Isaiah. I called, signed all the paper work and once again there is a young girl inside who is ready for a journey -- this journey. My Road to fitness begins here…