via TJC
"And it came about when Jesus had finished these words, He departed from Galilee, and came into the region of Judea beyond the Jordan;"
Matthew 19:1
We don't think much about this scripture, especially in a series on being FIT. So, why this reference? When Jesus and his disciples departed Galilee and came into the region of Judea, they had walked about 80 miles? It was taken for granted that they walked. We don't consider how far they walked. They didn't have comfortable running shoes, just sandals. They were walking on sand, uneven terrain, and encountered other obstacles considered normal for their times. My guess is they were FIT, every one of them.
A year ago, the TJC authors had to be a part of a FIT program to prepare for the new year. It could be whatever you wanted, but you had to commit to at least a 45 minute per day workout of some kind. I chose a combination of walking and hiking, and on the days the weather was inclement, core exercises obtained from my chiropractor when I had injured my spine. The result was that I started losing weight and could breathe better, but there were other benefits with longer-lasting effects…mental and spiritual effects.
One of the places I enjoyed walking was on the various trails in Virginia's Manassas National Battlefield Park. Since I live a short drive away, it was a break from walking in my neighborhood every day, although I had a couple of routes mapped out that took me over a mile to walk. The beauty of the Manassas trails was not many people were on them, there were obstacles like tree roots and stones you had to be cautious of, but more importantly, I could allow my mind to ponder God. I considered what He created in these woods; the occasional deer I would encounter that did not jump away when I approached. I learned to recognize the patterns of others who would walk there, so when we would pass one another, there was a smile of recognition and the occasional "Hi, how are you?".
I began to learn the history of what had happened on this ground some 159 years ago. The battles fought, the men and women who died, why they were fighting, and the soil I was walking on, these different paths traveled by these soldiers long ago. I experienced all of this just by taking a walk.
Somewhere along the way, I got off schedule, distracted, and then lost my routine of walking those trails. Writing this DBO and being recalled into our FIT program was what I needed to get back to this discipline and enjoyment.
Daily Battle Order:
You don't have to be in a gym to get fit. You can start by taking a walk around your block or even your parking lot. The internet is full of core exercise stretching routines (with pictures) to help you along. The key is to start doing it and keep doing it. Simply go back to it if you miss a day, a week, or even a month! Our enemy, the devil, comes to devour us. We need to be FIT; Spirit, Soul, and Body.
When you maintain your body, your temple, the fruit you harvest may be something unexpected. For me, these trail walks led me to become a volunteer with The National Park Service. I can learn more about the battles and share that knowledge with our visitors... while staying FIT.