Stir Up

“Let us consider how to stir one another up for love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”  Hebrews 10:24-25

“Bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the will of Christ.”   Galatians 6:2

Do you ever feel lonely and forlorn over your battle with your belly?  You make a little progress then fall into the pit?  A week or two passes where you walk regularly and eat your colors, (For those who don’t know, I like to refer to fruits and vegetables as colors, ‘cus I LOVE coloring my plate.) then out of nowhere comes another family birthday party or office gathering or your monthly church potluck and before you can say, “Lord! Duct tape my mouth!” you’ve downed 2000 calories or more.  Or you go nearly a month walking like you mean it, 20 minutes or more each and every day, even that night it made you a tiny tardy for Bunko, then for some confounding reason your kids have yet another week off school and your temple maintenance gets toppled.

Well if this happens to you time and again, don’t you imagine others struggle similarly?  Take a gander across your church sanctuary and you’re sure to see someone in those pews who would feel wildly grateful if a sister offered to support her in walking like she knows she should.   Doesn’t the Good Word call us to stir one another up for love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together?  Well I dare say meeting together to praise the Lord with the pattering of your feet is a high, holy stirrin’!

And how about next time you see the church potluck in the weekly bulletin you call your friend and strategize together what healthy dishes you will bring.  Then while you walk through the food line, bonded by your mutual stirring, you quietly (or not so quietly…) whisper, “My body is the temple of the Holy Spirit so I’m only putting Royal Recipes on my plate!”  Royal Recipes is my own phrase for Food Fit for The King and His Kin.  Grab all the colors you can find, including the two luscious dishes ya’ll brought, and strut right past that sabotaging sweets section.

So you have an assignment this week from Miss Grace, all of you who habitually start, then stop, your temple maintenance.  Find someone to stir up.  Support and encourage someone else.  Because when you stir someone up to good choices you get stirred too!  I have a sneaking suspicion Brother Paul understood this concept when he suggested stirring, don’t you?  Now quit your whining and being all blue and bear someone else’s burdens by going for a nice long walk.  (By the way, I don’t mean to be self-aggrandizing but did you see my Letter called Praise Walks?  Here’s the link:   https://www.livewellbygrace.com/letters-blog/2017/9/25/peppy-praise-walks)

Go on now, pick up that telephone you’re gazing at all day long and call someone and ask if they’d like some love and support with their temple maintenance.  Just think: Folks pay those fancy personal trainers mighty well to do what you’re offering to do!  So be ready to see a big ol’ smile, a deep sigh of gratitude, and maybe even a tremblin’ lip and tricklin’ tear.

Live Well,

Miss Grace