That may be easy for some to answer and for some of us, it's hard to choose. There are so many different areas of life in which we juggle or struggle with each day; relationships, taking care of family and the home, working hard at our jobs, making good choices for nutrition, exercising to keep our bodies healthy, and the list could go on.
I began to run again last week, which let me tell you I have a love-hate relationship with running, but it is the one exercise I do that not only clears my mind, but helps me think clearly. Did I just confuse you? Sorry. Let me try to explain. When I strength train, I am counting reps so that is my focus; put an exercise video in the DVD player, I am focusing on what the instructor is saying and what move comes next. The days I run, I just run (well sometimes throw in walking intervals if I need to be truthful), but, nevertheless, it clears my mind. There is something about being out on the road or trail where all you hear are birds singing, and the breeze rustling the leaves of the trees, that it puts me at peace with myself, and I can think clearly with no distractions. It allows me to play in my mind all the things that are bothering me and I begin to pray and release. There are burdens that we are carrying around that we are not meant to carry, and it becomes a heavy weight! I Peter 5:7 (AMP) mentions to start "casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully]." So, I pray and release it all to Him, which clears my mind, and then I am able to think more clearly and see things more clearly since I got rid of all that was cluttering my mind. Hope that helped to explain what I meant.
So, roller coaster or merry-go-round; which do I choose? Roller coaster. Life for me, is up and down, hills and valleys, and I am supposed to enjoy the ride, but I have to admit that I do not. There are some days, or let's shorten it to moments, where I do not like the ride, but it is part of the journey or experience we call life. On top of the roller coaster you can see what's ahead of you and are able to prepare and brace yourself so we feel a little more in control. When you reach the dip, you can only see the uphill track in front of you. It's the mountaintop experiences and the valleys of life that mold us and make us into who we are. If we lived continually at the top, what could we learn or how could we grow? Just as the top of the mountain shows less signs of life and can be a cold and brutal place; I believe it is how we can become if we have nothing that challenges us or to help grow our faith and realize that we cannot do life alone. It is in the valley where the grass is greener, the trees are fuller, the flowers are blooming. It is where we grow and come to life.
If I really want to be truthful, there are times when my roller coaster just seems to be riding backwards, which can make me feel sick. I think "why am I here again" facing the same battles, backtracking, if you will, to the same bump that I thought was conquered? I don't want to go over that same hill again and face the same pain or the same fears, AGAIN! But, you know what? I find it gets a little easier to deal with or I discover that there is something that I missed the first time around. Like taking a test over to get a better score because we learned something new.
Whichever ride you are on in life, focus on what's ahead of you and ask yourself "what am I about to learn" and remember that you are not the only one on the ride.
