Muscles of Steel

Saturday, January 2nd found me standing in a throwing ring at UCSD with a hammer in my hand. Not the kind you drive nails into a wall with, but the round 6 lb. steel ball attached to a long wire that is thrown! I did not wake up January 1st and make a New Years resolution to begin learning to throw heavy, round metal objects. The journey to the UCSD ring was a 20 year one. I had briefly thrown hammer with my mom at a National Masters Track meet here in San Diego in 1989. I had always wanted to try it again but the opportunity did not present itself until recently.

At the end of my training session I came away with sore muscles, torn skin on my fingers and great enthusiasm for learning the new events of weight and hammer throwing! The next day I woke up with a new resolve to get into the weight room in an attempt to gain muscles of steel to throw the implements of steel!

During my battle with cancer I have learned that it takes spiritual muscles of steel to withstand the war that wages against your body and soul. In Streams in the Desert it says, "The irons of sorrow and loss, the burdens carried as a youth, and the soul's struggle against sin all contribute to developing an iron tenacity and strength of purpose, as well as endurance and fortitude. And these traits make up the indispensable foundation and framework of noble character. Never run from suffering, but bear it silently, patiently and submissively, with the assurance that it is God's way of instilling iron into your spiritual life. The world is looking for iron leaders, iron armies, iron tendons and muscles of steel. But God is looking for saints of iron, and since there is no way to impart iron into people's moral nature except by letting them suffer, He allows them to suffer. Your iron crown of suffering precedes your golden crown of glory, and iron is entering your soul to make it strong and brave."

Each time this year that I walk through the doors of 24 Hour Fitness I will thank God for the gift of health and life. I will let it remind me of the iron He has imparted into my soul these past 2 1/2 years.

My prayer for each of you is that when God allows you to suffer you will know that it is because He has a plan and a purpose in it. If you maintain the right attitude and perspective through your trial, you will exit it stronger in character than when you entered it. Allow God to mold you and shape you into a "Saint of Iron".

Two of my New Years Resolutions are to gain muscles of steel to throw implements of steel and to be transformed into a Saint of Steel as I embrace any suffering that my heavenly Father allows to come my way. I'm off to the weight room!