For those who know me, I live with a hunger of athletic competition. Having caught the triathlon bug ten years ago, I’ve devoted thousands of hours of training to get my body into top physical shape. Swimming, biking, and running have become as natural as breathing, and I planned to continue competing at a serious level for years to come. I found my worth in athleticism, giving everything else a backseat.
Last month, I was given a rude awakening. I acquired the shingles virus on my stomach and back, confining me to a bed for days and draining my energy. (This explains why the newsletter is coming at the end of the bimonthly period.) My training regimen was out the window, and my mind was stir-crazy. Minutes turned into hours, hours turned into days, and I started to become lost in my thoughts. Slowly, I began to dwell on the purpose of my life. Had I really overlooked family, friends, and God to achieve my own selfish desires? The fog of my mind started to clear, and I realized that I had not been living a balanced life. I had been focused on one thing and one thing only: my workout schedule.
There is nothing inherently wrong with working out, but once it takes over all else, it’s time to back off. Everything is fine in moderation, and the key to life is not over-doing anything in particular. Life is too short to make it all about yourself. According to Acts 20, “you will receive greater blessings when you give than when you receive.”
As the shingles are clearing up, I’m realizing how much of a blessing the sickness was. From now on, my life will be much more outward focused, making it less about me and more about others.
Published on April 30, 2014