I've been exercising, watching what I eat, losing weight and realizing that I could really benefit from some of these weight-loss and health strategies in a few other areas of my life. I've found losing weight at nearly 50 years of age more painful than I ever imagined. How could it really be painful to pass up the "Krispy-Kreme Hot Now" sign and have a protein bar when 1,000 people an hour die from lack of food hour after hour? But that's another day and another blog/rant!
The Pain Paradox is a process of changing my habits and my daily tasks.
For example, in my finances, it's much easier to take the escalator rather than the stairs by utilizing credit to meet my "want it now" desires.
In my business life it's much easier to take the elevator rather than the stairs by approaching the difficult decisions later rather than today to meet my "I wanna have a good day" desires.
In my emotional life it's much easier to take the train at the airport than walking from one concourse to the other by not confronting difficult relationships with compassion and love, but with judgement and apathy, which feeds my "can't we all get along" desires.
In my personal life it's easier to slip in the handicap spot for "just a few minutes" (I mean really, how many spots are really needed) than to walk a little further to eat my lunch at Chili's., meeting my "I'm really more important than you" desires.
In my church life it's easier to take the closest parking space rather than the furthest space that would allow guests to park close. It's like being the speaker that blows in, blows up and then blows out, rather than investing in children, youth and adults in their everyday lives, which feeds my "I'm the star of the show" desires.
Following God's path for our lives was never promised as the easy road or the "it's really all about me" road, it's simply the most rewarding and worthwhile road.
I trust that this little reminder to me and from me is received as an encouragement to live life to it's fullest, in Christ. At times, He does His best work during our most painful journey's.
Peace, Chuck
