There are moments when I see prayer as a restful thing. There are other seasons where it feels like I am struggling against things unseen, and it requires me to focus like an athlete. I’ve felt like that in the last week or two. I’m grateful for the rest, but I’m also grateful for the wrestling. The sweat reminds me I’m alive. Jesus sweat blood once when he prayed. Jacob busted his hip. Now that’s struggle.
On Thursday I was running and praying at the gym. Among many other things, I talked to Jesus about the the husband-man I’d like to have one day. As I was staring toward the big red punching bag at the other end of the gym, I found a nice metaphor. Yes. I’d like this guy of mine to be tough in prayer like an experienced boxer. I want to learn new movements of prayer next to him: throwing punches at the evil one, wrestling, waiting on God. It will be good for me to develop spiritual muscles in areas that were once just baby fat.
But in the meantime, I am trying to learn everything I can from whomever seems to have been in the ring a bit longer than me.
I watched one guy attack the red punching bag tirelessly, like he really knew what he was doing: five right hooks, five left hooks, five one-two’s, five body-punches. He looked like he was having so much fun. I tried to mentally track his routine so that I could do it, too. (And so my metaphor grows.)
Today after my workout I put on the black Everlast gloves and threw a few right and left hooks at the punching bag. The one-two’s tired me out. But oh! it was more fun than I can explain.
(Photo “Jesus is Strong” by Szen Volta.)
Oh, isn’t it? I used to really like punching bags… but I was much angrier back then.
I’d like to try again though.
Cari, I love you! (Love you too, Nelly.)
and I love you both. love all around. we should all punch punching bags…lisa, when nacho libre gets old you might enjoy putting on boxing gloves.
I heard of a lady who bought a pair of mans jeans, she put them at the end of her bed and prayed “God give me a man to fill these jeans” don’t know why I though I should say that….
Can’t believe how many people are on this blog site…crazy… anyway, wanted to say i love you and i love your writings 🙂 was watching a show the other night (okay, joseph was out of town and i was bored, peeling labels bored! haha). so….it was on the disney chanel. 🙂 lol. the best part about it was that a kid was an awesome boxer but he secretly had a passion for double dutch jump roping! i’m not even kidding…
thought i’d throw that out there in case boxing gets old 🙂
Reading this post reminds me of how much I need people. Sometimes I feel as though I am the only one who has struggle in prayer – but what you said is so true and so comforting. I am glad it is a struggle – it means I am growing stronger.