Body, Mind & Spirit (Part 2)

Photo #2

Title: Todd Waiting On Laundry

Purpose of photo: a) to demonstrate that Todd reduced his waist size beyond his last belt notch b) to demonstrate that Todd needs a new pair of jeans for Christmas c) to prove that 6-packs are indeed possible for 50-year-old nincompoops.

Photo Credit: LTO (Logan Todd Outcalt)

Photo Quote: "Dad, you know this doesn't change the fact that you look like a Dork."

Incarnation (n)

Now here's a wonder. The Christian faith is the only religion to proclaim, as its foundational doctrine, that God was enfleshed in human body. What's this got to do with me working myself into a lather to reveal my six-pack. Much. You see, the New Testament is filled with references to Christ's body, and the fact that you and I are walking embodiments of his presence. St. Paul says that our bodies are the "temples of the Holy Spirit" and Jesus taught that our concern for others in centered in body concerns: feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, healing the sick. In fact, Jesus defined his ministry in these body-terms. Wow, that's all physical stuff . . . not spiritual.
But wait a minute. It's spiritual too. Body, Mind & Spirit are connected. As odd as it may sound to many people . . . the spirit is why I continue to do presses, dips, rows, curls and situps. To me, the Spirit is in it, and I have always found a great God-connection with working hard and dieting hard (to gain or lose weight) in order to prepare my body to serve others. Get the connection?
One of the things I've always tried to teach my kids is the importance of caring for themselves so that they can care for others. It's tough to do our best, and be our best, when we're not at our best. And for me . . . getting to the best has always involved becoming something more than I am now--in body, mind, and spirit. While I find it in weights and treadmill, you may find it in walking or tennis or gardening. But everyone needs a body=mind=spirit connection.
I study, read, write and dialogue with others to improve my mind. I work, serve, give, and sacrifice to improve my spirit (faith). And I've pounded weights in the gym for nearly forty years to improve my body. But it's all inter-related. One thing feeds the other and impacts the other. Jesus taught this. So did St. Paul (remember his references to subduing the body in order to gain glory and grow in faith, or his reference to running the race with perseverance to win the prize?). And John Wesley, founding father of Methodism, was a huge believer in the inter-related aspects of body, mind and spirit. In fact, many of the earliest Methodists were touted for their healthy lifestyles, tough-as-nails fortitude, and their ability to care for the body as well as the spirit. Hey, it's tough to run and ride horseback for thousands of miles if the body ain't up to the task. Body=Mind=Spirit!!
So . . . I'm fifty. In the past two months I've worked myself down from 224 pounds (see the photo blog just prior to the last Body, Mind & Spirit blog) to my current 203. I lost 21 pounds, increased my fitness, lowered my sitting heart rate, tanned, shaved, and prepared myself to stand on a stage and compete in a pair of swimmer's trunks . . . only without the actual competition. The only one I compete with now is myself. To improve. To grow. To reach a goal that I had set for myself over thirty years ago.
And my next goal in body . . . I'm going to surpass my present condition when I turn sixty. Sound impossible? I have no doubt I'll do it. I've got a stack of weights waiting for me and a freshly laundered towel that needs my blood, sweat and tears. Tomorrow, when I rise at 5:30 a.m., I'll be there in the gym beginning my new journey toward my sixty-year birthday goal. I'll be home by 6:30 a.m to read and write in order to improve my mind. And then I'll be out there helping other people after I've prepared myself to be at my best for others, and I'll find my spirit soaring or, as John Wesley said, "going on to perfection."
Want to join me?