Just Pray

So I'm praying about doing a mission trip in Columbus, Ohio. It would be with my local church and only a week, but I still am relying on praying-which for me is bizarrely new. I find that I feel like I'm praying constantly for things so temporary and small that when it comes to anything big or kingdom geared work that I try to take control. 

Why is it that we put God in such a tiny box of our lives?? At least I feel like I'm guilty of that. I'll ask Him for things that seem attainable, but if it comes to anything that would be radically outside of what I consider possible I question what is possible for Him. Instead of the focus on what we think is possible, we should remember that this is the very same God who moved mountains and parted seas. If that's not radically incredible I don't know what is. We should pray to God in faith of what we know He can do, instead of questions of what we think is achievable. In the bible it says to 'pray without ceasing' (1 Thes 5:16-18), I have been the person that reminds my friends of that very concept. Yet, when it comes to me on a personal level I sometimes think more than I thank and get so caught up in wanting to be a perfect picture of a child of God that I forget to let Him love me and uplift me. 

So simply enough I'm praying through it all. 

Please, if by the grace of God you are reading this then please, pray for us as a team going into a setting that is so unknown and pray that we keep strength, patience and understanding.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18

An Iron Lift

I'll be transparent here, I'm a very silently competitive person. I don't boast constantly about how hard I'm planning on crushing the spirits of those who come against me. I don't obnoxiously shout about how hard you're going down. I do however, turn the sense of competition back on myself. Everyday in my box we post scores on the whiteboard at the front of the class. Everyday I see who hit the highest on a WOD (minding the fact that there's a blended smoothie of RX, RX plus and scaled). 

All I know is outwardly, I compete with myself and inwardly I want to be seen as one of the greatest. Yet, I find it humbling. 

Yesterday I began my WOD pushing through a mini warm up with sprints, pull-ups, pushups and squats, ending on grabbing a barbell and hitting my clean/jerk combos. I wasn't paying attention to surroundings all to well. This woman, who mind you I see periodically, wanted to set up her bar nearest mine. 

I'm standing there stretching, in my own world assuring myself I can do this for me. I've been sore all week but I can do this. 

"You're my inspiration."

I heard her before I saw her watching me lift. That's the thing about crossfit, or really anything that stretches your willpower to new heights-people notice. They see the you gasping for air, but still running strong. They see you pulling and pushing weight heavier than you mentally think you can do.

I remember when I started, and even still, I'm that girl that will tell you if you inspire me and how I hope that I can one day be as great or lift as heavy as you. I'm still a work in progress and I know it. I probably always will be.

I do crossfit for me. One life changing epiphany though, I do crossfire for others too. It's a weird concept in itself, but to have one person see me try as hard as I can and that make them try harder is exactly why I do it. 

God gave me one body to use, to make healthy and to try my hardest with. I never knew in giving me a love for a sport that He would be preparing it as a ministry. 

I only run, lift, swim, or do what He allows me to. My strengths not my own, but fully His. So when someone says I inspire them, well I instantly get emotional because oh my gosh it's me, but I thank God He gave me the strength that He has.