You may remember a few weeks ago I explained how Granddaughter senior would be attending a gymnastics trial. She loved it. The coaches were all very young (a sign of my age!) and very patient. She moved from activity to activity under their watch and gentle guidance.
When we collected her for her second session, she was insistent that she’d been practising her straddles and perfecting her forward rolls. The second session concentrated on bar work and cartwheels. She proudly showed off her expertise at cartwheeling with one arm behind her back or on her hip and how she was adept at tiptoeing along a bar six inches from the floor. She listened really intently as the coaches instructed her as to how she could improve and when she had another go, they supported her body carefully as she got used to new positions and balance. Often, they demonstrated the movement themselves so that she could see how it should look. When they could see improvement, they shouted encouragements with a ‘high five’.
As Christians, it’s not enough to just listen to the Word on a Sunday. We have to be brave enough to ‘stretch our muscles’, to ‘exercise ourselves’ and act in unfamiliar ways for the furtherance of God’s Kingdom. Sometimes it will hurt. Outside of our comfort zone can feel like a risky place. But God is always there for us. We have His Spirit for support and encouragement. We have an ultimate example in Jesus. Even if we trip or stumble on our way, He will be there to pick us up and encourage our development.
If we act on His Word, we demonstrate our faith to ourselves and the world.
Granddaughter left me with a promise that she would exercise carefully this week and put into practise all the advice she had been given. She will share it with her special friend who attends different gym classes. What about us? Are we so excited about God’s instructions and what He is doing in our lives that we will share it with others?