Sunday morning I heard more coughs, sniffles and sneezes in our worship service than I am used to hearing in the summer.  It sounded like it was winter cold season in our church auditorium.  There is an extra dose of allergens in the air right now and a bug that is going around as well.  Yesterday I was knocked flat on my back by something and had to go home and lay down.  As it wound up I didn’t get up again till this morning.

Illustration by Albert Blanchet

I still don’t feel great but I knew since I wasn’t running a big fever and I wasn’t dying that I needed to get up and just keep moving.  There are benefits to letting our bodies rest but there is also a time when getting up and going is what we need to force ourselves to do.  I’ve been on the treadmill desk for a few hours this morning and have been improving hour by hour.  (By the way, I saw this great article on the psychological benefits of a standing desk, same would be true of a walking desk.)

The concept of ‘just keep moving’ seems to be one that applies to any age.  When little kids are really sick they will be down for a little bit, but before you know it they are up and running around again.  Some of the oldest and healthiest people I know ‘just keep moving.’  For example, my 92 year old neighbor lady still gets out once or twice a week on her John Deere riding mower to keep her grass looking neat.  (She also bowls in a league a couple of times a week!)  It seems like whenever you stop moving you are setting yourself up for bad things.

The same philosophy plays out across all aspects of our life.  Yesterday I wrote about the cost of keeping the lights on.  I found out that my lack of effort in researching our lighting was costing us a couple of hundred dollars a year.  When we stop putting in that extra effort it can wind up costing us.

Our relationships require us to ‘just keep moving’ as well.  When we stop putting in a good effort that is when problems arise, whether we are talking about friendships, family or marriage.  Daily, weekly or monthly ’emotional deposits’ can help keep all of our relationships in good health.  Did you know that not having friends has the same health risks of smoking a pack of cigarettes a day?

We have to keep moving in our relationship with God as well.  A relationship with God doesn’t just happen, it takes time and effort to cultivate just like any good relationship.  Helping families grow closer to God is a big reason why I enjoy the work I do and have been writing the family worship series every Tuesday this year.  Today’s worship guide covers 2 Samuel 7 and you can read it here >>> Week 31 – Nathan the Prophet