“and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”—Ephesians 5:2

For Christmas my son and daughter-in-law got me a Fit Bit. I really wanted one so that I could monitor my heart rate during my cardio workouts, especially spin class. I needed something to help pace myself during higher intensity exercise.

I’m not sure if you remember, but I chose the words, “Be Still,” for 2018. That is REALLY hard to do when I have this thing on my wrist telling me to get up and move. I know I am in good health, so I really am not too concerned about whether or not I reach my 10,000 steps for the day, but there is the competitive part of me that wants to achieve that daily. 

Have I mentioned that I signed up to run a 1/2 marathon in April? So much for “being still” this year. Our church’s word for this year is, “Uncomfortable.” I’d say running a 1/2 marathon falls into that category. Really, “Uncomfortable,” is a better word for me because writing this blog and giving away my Threads with Red gifts have definitely taken me outside of my comfort zone.

I promised myself that while writing these blog posts that I would be transparent. I have been writing about God being with you all of the time, trusting God in the midst of chaos and feeling His peace in all circumstances. So, why is it that I am so concerned about wearing this thing on my wrist to monitor my high intensity work-outs?

The reality is that I can’t help but wonder if I got the “bad gene” for heart disease from my dad. He had his first heart surgery at the age of 53…that’s only two years away for me. Because of this, taking care of myself is important to me. However, am I really trusting God when I get obsessive about it?

The Bible tells me in Psalm 139:16, “all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” God knows how long I will be here, so me worrying about whether or not I will get heart disease, isn't trusting God. Of course, that doesn't mean I eat whatever I want and don't exercise. It means, I take care of myself knowing my family history, but I don't panic when I get heart burn.

So while I know my Fit Bit isn’t a bad thing to have, I have to be careful that I don’t rely on it as my source of comfort that my heart is healthy. Whether or not I hit my 10,000 steps a day shouldn’t be my focus. I need to be more concerned about whether any of the steps I take each day are being used to share the love of Jesus in my community.

Dear Lord,

Help me to remember that only Jesus is my source of life. According to Romans 8:38, NOTHING can separate me from God’s love, not even my fears for today or my worries about tomorrow. I know a kind word, smile or simple, “Thank You,” can be a light in someone’s day. I ask that you use my steps this week to share Your love with those who cross my daily path and to lead me to the right person to receive my hand knitted gift. It is in the name of Jesus that I pray these things. Amen!

If you are memorizing this months scripture, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you”—Psalm 119:11, make sure you keep it with you as you knit this week. Please make sure you tweet @KnitPrayShare or share your projects on the Knit Pray Share Facebook page or Instagram using the hashtags #ThreadsWithRed #KnitPrayShare.