thankful: seven

today was my first day back at the gym since...well, a long time. one of the things i miss most when i'm living in Liberia is being able to get on a treadmill and just go, so now that i'm home, i've been really excited to get over to Planet Fitness as soon as possible.

not one to ease into things (i'm usually an all or nothing kind of gal), i set the speed and incline at the exact same settings i used to keep them at. the problem, though, is that i had gotten used to those settings when i was working out every single day. and that was over a year and a half ago.

so, needless to say, within about a minute, i found myself gasping for breath and feeling like i was going to fall over. i changed the settings to something a bit easier to handle and, lo and behold, i found my rhythm and just took off. five miles (which may not be much for some people, but it's pretty darn good for me!) and then i realized--i may not be as fast or as strong as i once was, but i'm still more than able to exercise this body of mine. and that is such a gift!

today, then, i am thankful for my health and my strength. i thank you, God, that you've given me a body that works well. thank you that i am able to do most things that some others cannot; i often take it for granted, and i'm sorry for that. help me to take the best care of the body you've given me and to treat it like the temple that it is.