Whose temple is it anyway?

Oh! was it hot this morning. And there was NO breeze! It felt like another one of those days where time was moving backwards. This, combined with the song "Hotel California" by the Eagles led to today's post.

Now, there is a disclaimer....remember this all started about forgiveness, so if I say something you don't like, please just forgive me. I promised myself that I would be true to myself and authentic, even if I was afraid of what you might think. So, here goes...

As I was running, I was thinking about how I was disappointed that I hadn't lost more weight. I have also been lifting weights, so I tried to resolve that I was adding muscle, so the scale hasn't adjusted. Then I remembered that this didn't start because I wanted to lose weight. It started as a sacrifice and gift and commitment to forgiving.

Ok, this part is a little confusing. The song "Hotel California" came on the radio, and it led to this thought: "Isn't it weird that some people are so obsessive about keeping grave stones and plots at cemeteries clean and making sure our church buildings and yards are perfect, and yet we don't feel the same way about our bodies, which are the living temples of God?"

I started running because I wanted to do something for God, and yet it didn't take long before I start becoming frustrated that I am not dropping weight. I feel alot better and the running has improved my cardio and my relationship with God. But, I wouldn't be upset if I looked different either.

God gave us this incredible work of art, both inside and out, and yet I have not been diligent about taking care of it. And alot of damage can't be reversed. I am lucky - my blood sugar has never been better and I am holding off diabetes, unlike my family.

Think how upset we would be if someone tracked dog poop into our church and no one made any attempt to clean it up. What if no one ever cleaned the carpets, or vacuumed, or mopped. That's what's happening when I eat a Snickers, or ice cream or french fries. That's right - junk food is the equivalent of dog poop.

I'll be honest - I have never understood keeping someone's cemetery plot looking perfect because they are not there! It's just an empty box under that plot and I don't associate how much someone cares about someone by how nice they keep the plot when they're gone. In fact, I think the opposite...how weird. But, I do think that how we take care of our living temples DOES show how much we love God.

I am hoping to make the running and the lifting weights about my commitment to God, not as a temple to me. It's hard, because the better I look, the easier it is to take credit and I don't want to do that. I am sure though, that I have plenty of friends who will not let that happen.