Attacks of the Flesh

As I have written before, Erin (my wife) and I are working hard at getting in shape and losing weight. So far, we've both done pretty well at it. But, man it sometimes seems like we're under attack. It sounds melodramatic, but it seems as if the devil doesn't want us to lose the weight. I know that he tempts you and tries to get you to commit sins. Looking at how I've been built most of my adult life, it's easy to tell that my most obvious sins are gluttony and sloth. There are plenty of other sins that aren't as glaringly obvious (I hope).

So, now Erin and I are trying to lose weight and be more active. In the first two weeks, Erin hurt her back while helping my sister and brother-in-law move into a new house. She has and is continuing to work through that. She didn't let it stop her or even slow her down for very long. I got a badly infected ingrown toenail, but I kept going. Erin has had some recurrent issues with her calves and Achilles tendons. My hips and knees have long-term issues which are currently flaring up. I have days where I just feel lazy, tired or unmotivated.

In many ways, my walk with Christ is marked with my failures. He knows how often I stumble on a daily basis. In this particular instance, I am currently doing better than I have in the past. I think one reason that I am doing better with this is that I have an accountability partner. Erin and I are pretty good at keeping each other on track. On days where she feels weak, she can lean on or be prodded by me, and vice versa. I also have reached a point where the age at which Dad had his first heart attack is in sight. I am 34. He was 45. That's not terrifically far in the future. I'd just as soon not followin in his health footsteps. I would like to be around to watch my kids raise their kids.

Pray that Erin and I are able to maintain our new, healthier lifestyle. While you're at it pray that we have equal or better success in dealing with the other sin in our lives.

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