This morning, I had an observation. It was not new or profound. I would not call it an epiphany or close to it. I was laying on my back, lifting an 8 pound exercise ball with my feet. Eight pounds was not all that heavy. Yet, by the time I finished my 20 reps the thighs were feeling it. This morning I spent a little over half an hour working with that little ball or simply balancing, and planking, I am amazed how much work it can be. Sometimes I go heavy, swinging or lifting kettl ebells that weigh 4 or 5 times that weight. When I go to the gym there are often people there pressing weight in the triple digits. Today just body weight or the eight pounder. I came away sweating, muscles burning, knowing I did something. I think it was all good.
Now for my observation. I sometimes find it hard to believe that such light weight does much. Shouldn't heavy be better? Can lifting your hands over your head really be building anything? Squatting against the wall, like sitting in a chair, what can that really do? Well, the burn tells me there is great benefit. I have read and been told that doing more of this "light work" with a little "going heavy" is actually healthier and accomplishes more for the long term. I am beginning to see that as true.
As I think about our spiritual journey, it is not the 'heavy work' that benefits us most, but the light work. We will have heavy days to be sure. But most days are not profound days. The light work done regularly and consistently is what we really need. The light work, you ask? Well, devotional reading, a chapter or two each day in the Bible, some time in prayer, listening to praise music in the car, planting seeds in the lives of family, friend or stranger would all be light work. The challenge is making time, and doing it well. The change we can see over time may well surprise us. After all, we didn't to that much. But we did to something, and did it regularly.
