**This post is brought to you by the rapture that wasn’t, by Reverend Baker’s sermon the morning after, by this awesome Nike t-shirt, and by several life lessons.
My religious upbringing didn’t include much focus on the Book of Revelation or “the rapture.” As Reverend Baker put it in his sermon this week, when Jesus said (in John 14:6)
I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
He didn’t mean that He is a door that you open and all of a sudden (woosh!) there you are in heaven. Rather, He is the way to follow as you live your life. Being a Christian is as much about the journey–how you live your life–as the destination–how you might spend the rest of eternity.
I used to think that losing weight and getting fit were destinations–goals that I could reach once or for all and then get on with the rest of my life. After I reached my weight loss goal, it took a bit of time (and a few pounds regained) to learn that eating right and staying fit were the keys to living the rest of my life. (My mantra in those days: If I go back to my old ways, I’ll get back to my old weighs.) Every day I have to make choices about what I will (or won’t) eat and how much I will (or won’t) move my body. Reaching my goal weight might have been the end of my weight loss journey, but it was only the beginning of the rest of my life.
I can draw the same analogy about work. As an associate, I had a general goal of making partner in my law firm. Now that I’ve been a partner for a few years, I see making partner as the start–not the finale–of my career. Becoming partner meant charting my own career path and doing the hard work it takes to be successful. Every day brings new challenges, new accomplishments, and yes, sometimes, new frustrations!
Understanding life as an ongoing journey suits me well. I try remind myself to “relax and enjoy the scenery,” and when the path gets rocky I remember that Jesus is walking with me every step of the way.
Did you ever reach a goal that turned out to be just the beginning?
What’s your favorite t-shirt slogan?
![The Ultimate Coffee Date](http://got2run4me.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Ultimate-Coffee-Date.png" "The Ultimate Coffee Date")
awesome t-shirt! True too.. Guess I never thought about it. My weightloss wasn't on purpose, it just happened during training.. But once it came off I realized I'd have to keep working to keep it off.
I recently bought a shirt because I loved the slogan: "laughter has no foreign accent" 🙂
I'm hoping training for the half-marathon in September will be the beginning of a new era in running (you know… the post-baby era!) 🙂 I did bring my running stuff today at work, so I'm hoping to go for a run after work and before getting home to my endless excuses! 🙂
That's a great one, Sary, especially for you! 😉
I need that t-shirt – it applies to everything and so few people realize that. I do, however, still love my "train hard, win easy" t-shirt. I wear it to coach practices. My kids hate it when I do that.
Ooh, that's a good one – and that applies to other areas of life as well!
Great blog! I have to post this quote to my bFIT4Lifers, "If I go back to my old ways, I’ll get back to my old weighs." This is was very inspiring. I have been thinking about one of my next blogs and it going to be about pressing to my last milestone of shredding 30lbs to my goal weight before my 40th birthday. I will be starting May 31st to go into strick training. You are such a great blogger. Thanks for sharing and inspiring.
Thanks, Lisa! You will shred that goal!
YAY!!!
So true… process not product? Journey not destination? I've been thinking about this lately cuz my not-so-old habits can be back in an instant. It is really all a day at a time for me – today I will drink water – today I will eat breakfast – and NOT so I can lose a few pounds – but so I can live more fully every day… Thank you for your post!
So true, Kris. While many old habits are *gone* some seem to lurk in the shadows ready to pounce! One day at a time is really all we can do, and seems to be a good approach: one foot in front of the other.
Favorite t-shirt slogan: "Poodle with a mohawk…you'll never call him Fifi again."
Love it!