Back when I was younger…and we won’t say just how far back that was…I trained. Now. Just to be clear. When I say “trained,” I was a member of a gym, and I wanted to do a little goal setting and get in a little better shape, so I acquired the services of a personal trainer for a short time. I guess you could call that trained. I don’t know. Whatever. It just sounds impressive. Anyway, I don’t know if any of you have ever done that before, but if you have you know they can sometimes be pretty brutal. This guy was no exception. Don’t get me wrong though, he got me in shape, but sometimes I felt like slapping him every time he said, “two more”.
One day, he said, “today you’re going to climb the Empire State Building” and pointed at the stair climber. Do you know how many floors are in the Empire State Building?
103
I had to climb 103 floors on the stair climber in a specified amount of time. I don’t remember how much time he gave me…I think it was 30 minutes, maybe it was more, I don’t remember, but I’ve blocked it out of my mind at this point, so let’s just say, it was a challenge.
This particular stair climber was the kind with those rolling set of steps that move down as you step on them and climb up. They look like a small set of stairs. Know the kind? He also said he gives this challenge to only those clients he feels like has the stamina, strength and drive to do it, but, only a few have been able to actually complete it.
Well. I wasn’t quite sure how to take that. Was he complimenting me? Or just telling me outright he didn’t think I would be able to do it. Or was this reverse psychology? I didn’t know, and it didn’t really matter, because being the rule-follower I am, I went for it. After about 5 minutes or so (and I’m feeling pretty good), he walks by, looks over at me and says, “you better speed up, or you won’t make it”. And I ask, “how fast should I go?” He comes over and pushes a few buttons and says, “leave it about there and you should be good.”
Ok. I don’t know if you’ve ever been on a stair climber before, but speed is definitely a factor. There comes a point where you reach a certain speed and you’re good. You’ve got a good sweat going, muscles are working and you know it’s going to be a really good workout. Anything faster than that, and things start getting ugly.
I was way past ugly.
I mean, the sweat was…well…let’s just say you would’ve thought I had come back from the pool. And I’m pretty sure I used up all the air around me within a 15-foot radius. I felt like my heart was going to burst…and I don’t mean in a good way. I was hanging on to the bars for dear life and checking every minute to see how much more I had left. There were desperate moments I thought about slowing it down…but then I knew I would have to speed up to make up for the lost floors, and trust me…there was no way I was speeding that thing back up again! When I finally reached 103, I had 2 seconds left!
Two seconds! I did it. I literally fell off that…horrific instrument of torture. (I don’t know who invented those things, but I bet they’re dead.) Somehow, I got it done. I made it to 103…and there was only one way it happened.
One step at a time
There was something in me that just kept going, kept taking that next step. I kept saying to myself, just keep going, don’t give up, stay steady. Just breathe. It will be worth it. Just take the next step. I had a trainer that set a goal in front of me and was expecting me to complete it. I didn’t want to let him down and wanted to prove to him, and to myself, that I could do it. It was probably one of the hardest physical things I have ever done, and will probably never do again. Yes, my legs were like jelly, and yes, it was really hard to breathe. I felt like stopping and giving up a bazillion times.
I mean, in the fabric of the universe does it really matter that I climb 103 steps on a stair climber in 30 minutes? Probably not. But in that moment, it mattered to me, and it mattered to my trainer. It mattered that I did what my trainer asked me to do. Because he knew it was good for me, and would make me stronger. So that when other challenges came, I would have the strength to do the next thing.
The next step
Paul says in I Thessalonians 5:6, “So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.”
To keep awake is to stay attentive, to be ready, expect God to use you, to remain fully alive mentally, spiritually. To be sober is to be steady, sure footed in all situations, to get rid of impairments, and to let the gospel sound from your life despite challenging circumstances. Our stories will encourage and build others up when we live attentive, fully alive lives in expectation that God is willing and able to use every individual to accomplish his work!
What is God calling you to believe Him for? What is the next step that you need to take? Does it seem daunting…like you’ve got to go 103 floors in 30 minutes? Do you feel like you’re on a stair climber, using up all the air around you, feeling like quitting because it is just too hard. Are you thinking that what you do, what you decide, in the fabric of the universe, doesn’t really matter? I’m here to tell you it does. It does matter.
Because wherever you are, He is there with you. Helping you. Training you. Encouraging you. Empowering you. He’s making you stronger so that when other challenges come, you will have the strength to do the next thing. So, don’t give up. Don’t give in. Don’t miss your moment of opportunity.
Just take the next step.
Photo by Johnell Pannell (unsplash.com)
