I finally found a gym that works for me. It is nearby and it has all the latest workout equipment and is clean. The gym furnishes towels, those germ-free foam dispensers, and every workout option I may have ever considered. I don’t need a complete cute workout wardrobe to go exercise like my old gym. The best part is that it attracts the geriatric crowd who wear loose t-shirts and black socks with their tennis shoes. It is full of “trainers” that I think secretly may be spotters to call 9-11 in case of heart attacks. Of course, it could be the hour I choose to go. I get there after the early work crowd but before the babysitters open, so I tend to see more gray hair in one morning than I do all day. I love that because it is a gym that will grow with me. I also love the pool. A few years ago, I had some trouble with TMJ, and the prescription was to swim every morning. My orthopedist told me the problem could be corrected with a strong core, and he was right. Sound familiar? Everything workout related seems to include the word “core” lately but it makes sense. If you have a strong core, everything else is stronger, more flexible, more in balance.

Our spiritual lives are very similar to our physical. We need a strong core, a daily time dedicated wholeheartedly to being spiritually fed. Just as our bodies weaken without a strong core, so do our hearts. A strong core leads to integrity, to peace with God, to harmony in our lives. With that core, balance and flexibility are easier attained. With a core of Christ, nothing is impossible, and each day seems a little more doable. Even more importantly, our spiritual cores reap everlasting benefits as opposed to physical workouts that are temporal.

I’m thrilled about the new gym. It also serves coffee so I grab a cup after a good work out of strengthening my core, and then I have to pass by the donut shop on the way home. Yes, very similar to our spiritual lives, I’d say.