You know, sometimes the Lord speaks to us in the most unexpected ways. About six years ago, I was upstairs in my house when a very specific image flashed across my mind. It was a vision of rubber bands—but not the stretchy, useful kind. These were shriveled up.
You know the ones I mean? They’re the ones that have lost every drop of moisture until they’re brittle and dry, looking more like a pile of dusty, dried-up noodles than anything else.
Right as I was looking at that image in my mind’s eye, I felt the Lord say to me, "If you don’t start stretching, you’re going to lose the use of your legs."
Now, I’ll be honest with you: my first reaction wasn't very spiritual! I thought, *That can’t be God. That’s not a very nice thing to say. Where’s the love in that?* But as I sat with it, I realized that it was actually the most loving thing He could have told me.
At the time, I was still walking and I thought I was doing just fine, but the truth was that I had stopped maintaining my body. Years ago, I could easily lean over, touch my head to my knee, and hold it for a count of thirty. I hadn't tried that in a long while.
So, I got down on the floor right then and there. I spread my legs out and tried to reach down. The pain was immediate. I was shocked—I couldn't do it! I remember crying out, "Oh my God, I can't do it." But in that moment of weakness, I just started saying, "Praise God. Thank you, Lord." He had given me a "cool word" just in time to save me from myself.
I was thinking about all of this again just this morning as I sat down on the floorboards of my apartment to start my routine. I got on my back to do my bicycles, and then I moved into my stretches. I’ve realized that if I don’t do this every single day, my muscles start to tense up and I run into problems. But do you know what? This morning, I was actually able to hold my head down on my knee for a count of fifty!
It sounds so simplistic, doesn’t it? But here is the heart of it: if we are going to do a work for God, we have to stay ready. The older we get, the more intentional we have to be. It can't just be a casual walk anymore. I lift weights, I do my core exercises, I practice Pilates, and when I walk my dog, we move at a three-mile-an-hour clip!
Stretching does so much more than just make you flexible; it opens up your lymphatic system and keeps your body vibrant. We want to be in the best physical condition possible so we can make a difference for Jesus.
Now, don't get me wrong—spiritual condition is always the most important thing. As the Word says, physical exercise profits a little, but godliness with humility is great gain. But if we want to be His hands and feet, we’d better make sure those feet are ready to move! Try it for yourself—it’s amazing what a little stretching can do.
