The three things I'm supposed to replenish on my reflection day.
And every day, if we want to be technical about it (and why not be technical?) Everyday I should challenge my mind, expand my understanding, read from a good book. Everyday I should nurture my soul, savor the happy moments, spend time in prayer, talk with God, and more importantly listen to God. Everyday I should give my body the rest it needs, try to eat decently, and get up and move as often as I can.
Two out of three everyday isn't bad, right? I've got the mind and soul parts down, those are a little easier for me. The body is a little more of a challenge when I'm a total foodie and have almost no motivation to jump on a treadmill....ever. I prefer getting outside to get in some exercise, but that doesn't usually work so well in the winter or in a place notorious for (horrendously frequent) precipitation of every kind. And I'll totally pull the "I don't have enough time" card when it comes to exercise and immediately hear everyone call my bluff.
I've told myself the last couple of weeks that I'd start at Lent. I'll give up what's bad for me that I've been eating (yummy as it all is) and motivate myself to get up and be more active more often.
But then I was sitting on my bed, in the middle of doing some laundry and reading an assignment when I looked out the window and realized how glorious the sun was today. And it wasn't terribly cold out. And I have a new pair of running shoes I got for Christmas that haven't seen more than a brisk walk in almost two months. And the next thing I knew I was changing out of my jeans, putting on a hoodie, lacing up my sneakers and making my way to the back door. And then I was running through the woods by the herms, and then across the road down to camp, and then up the boardwalk, and *boom* I was at the lake.
It wasn't half as bad as I thought it'd be, cold and all, saying Hail Mary's the whole way to keep my mind off the fact that I was running and I hate running and I'm terribly out of shape...but who cares because it was a gorgeous day. I sat on a bench down by the lake and watched the waves crash wildly against the little stone pier, and I stretched out my cold, tight leg muscles that had no idea what in the world I was doing to them, and I breathed in the cold air burning my lungs.
And I thanked God for the cold on my legs and the wind in my face, the ache in my legs and the burning in my lungs. Because I'm alive, I'm healthy, and even if I don't like to run at least I can do it. And it was a beautiful day, and I was happy to be out enjoying it. I sat for a few more minutes, saying some prayers and feeling really content. Then I got up, and ran back to the Mount. I somehow turned something I hate doing into a relaxing, prayerful experience. Imagine that.
It's been really great that the sun is starting to peek up earlier and earlier every morning. Maybe that will motivate me enough to go for a quick jog after prayer a few mornings a week, at least as long as there's still no snow for now. There's something incredibly energizing about a good run, and I forget that. It would be really nice to start my day off rejuvenating my body and soul right off the bat.
We'll see how it goes. Wish me luck, the no-motivation-monster likes to make frequent stops at my door, especially in the morning!
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