Lent Day 2

That horrible sounding alarm clock must be broken. I just went to bed a little while ago and it's raining. 5:45 and I call a delay of game on account of it's raining and dark and anything else I can come up with. Maybe I'll just exercise when I get home tonight. What if I don't have time, something comes up, or I just don't feel like it after a long day? What if God's blessings were like that with us? Didn't I give up "laziness" for Lent. Awe man, this is why a challenging commitment is so hard. Again, I don't want to get up and do this.

I get up, get dressed, and say a prayer. God tells me he has already given me everything I need; there is nothing I need to ask for. Let's go do this! I go out side to the sound of rain, but . . . really, it's raining so close I can hear it falling in the trees but it's not raining here!?! Get to running, Ben.

Molly is a good companion, yet slightly stupid. She forgot how we were doing dog crunches yesterday. Oh well, the occasional reach down and pet her is fine. Monte was overcome with laziness today. He just stayed in his bed on the porch.

I decided I need to do something besides run around my yard. I love my yard and there is ample room, but I need more than running. Besides, switching up movements helps the whole body. So, I started running while wildly swinging my arms in large punching motions. This is two things: 1) it is much harder to run like this than you think. The heart rate is getting way up there. 2) it looks like I have lost my mind. I love the privacy of my own yard.

Of course there are distractions and obstacles. That is part of the challenge that emphasizes the meaning of my commitment. I am not afraid, I will be strong, and I will endure all elements. I switched it up some more by running a quarter mile at a time from my garden to the tire swing then stopping at the porch. (Sure, that's a quarter mile :-) ). On the porch, I started doing push ups - 40 is the goal. How about 10, then a quarter mile run while flailing like an idiot, then repeat 4 times. Monte is a distraction. First he wants to knock my arms out from under me, then he actually jumped on my back. Some might say he's the devil, but I think he's an obnoxious dog that thinks he's being funny.

Time to go inside and wake up the boys. Is that . . . Look at the rain come down now. Inside, I decide it's time for those famous stomach killing 40 sit ups next to Tyler's bed. Wow, those are the most difficult part of the regime! It must be strange to be a sleeping 7 year old and wake up to your Dad huffing 31, 32, 33, . . . next to your bed. Naw, he knows me well enough; he just goes right back to sleep.

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Benjamin J. Grass