There is a revolution going on, and I would like to think I am part of the solution, not the problem. Who
am I kidding? Hi, my name is Jessica, (Melanie’s daughter-in-law) and I am addicted to my Fitbit. Maybe addicted is too harsh. I just have to have it on all the time or I freak out…
About a year and a half ago, I started making some serious changes in my life. I was unhappy,
unhealthy, and just didn’t really like myself. After some serious reflection, I decided to take a step (pun
intended). I have shared before, that one of the first steps I took was changing my diet and adopting a
Paleo lifestyle. The second thing I did, was start drinking the Fitbit Kool-Aid. To be honest, I wanted to
get in shape, all my friends were jumping on the bandwagon, but when I looked at the price tag of some
of these bracelets, I saw past failures in fitness with the only outcome being less money in my purse.
Peer pressure will get ya every time though, so I ended up buying my first Fitbit from a friend who was
upgrading to the next best model. So, let me reiterate, at this point, I had given up carbs, sugar, and
dairy (yep, no cheese), and had this fancy new accessory that reminded me how much I didn’t move
throughout the day. I might have been a little cranky.
There is this entire culture of people and their fitness trackers which includes a great social aspect to
fitness. I am a competitive person, so this was great. I joined challenges, and would push myself to do
better each week winning a few and usually talking a little friendly smack. I would park further away
from the door, take the stairs, or sneak in a morning walk before work. The better I ate, the better I felt.
The better I felt, the more exercise I would sneak in until it was part of my life. You could hear my
friends and I frequently say, “Ya, we can walk, I need the steps!” What I love about all this, is that it is so
simple. It is a stylish pedometer that keeps me accountable to myself and others.
I had the funniest conversation the other day with a girlfriend about our Fitbits. I laughed and said that
now the only time I took mine off was to take a shower and when I got out, it was the first thing I put
back on.
I’m about to make a crazy jump here, so follow me on this. I recently poured over scripture that
reinforced that God meets you right where you are in your mess. He doesn’t wait for you to have it all
figured out, or be “clean” enough to seek him. All it takes is a choice. A choice to turn to him and not
look back. A choice to make changes in your life, regardless of how difficult they may seem in the
beginning. Through the transformation that follows, Christ guides our path to feats we would have
previously never been able to fathom. Take Rahab the prostitute for example. Just as her name eludes,
she had a less than desirable profession in Jericho. She enters God’s word just as the Jewish people
were about to overtake Jericho in pursuit of the Promised Land. Regardless of who she was, what she
did, or the mess her life may have been, when presented with a choice to further the mission of God,
she chose wisely. God took this display of faith, the choice of Rahab to turn to God, and used it to
further His kingdom. Later in scripture, we find her in the genealogy of Christ. Quite a transformation
to go from a prostitute in a condemned city to a mother in the line of David. Wow! What a God we
serve!! (Joshua 2)
So, although I have never been a prostitute, I have just as many sins. I have so many transgressions in
my past and present (more to come on that), that I am so far from perfect it isn’t even funny. I have
fought horrible bouts of depression, self-doubt and some pretty rough outlooks on myself. When I
found nowhere else to turn, I turned to God. I didn’t wait to be faithful until I was good enough, I
turned it all over to God when I was still unhealthy, unhappy, and I feared, unfix-able. But just like
making that choice in my pursuit of health to put that Fitbit on for the first time and never take steps without it, so is the choice now to never take a step without my faith. The more choices I took in pursuit
of my faith the easier it became, until it is as much a part of my life as breathing. My faith is the true
first thing I put on in the morning, and it never comes off during the day. My faith is social, and doesn’t
need an app to accomplish that, I talk about it frequently. My faith never needs to be charged, but I
recharge it every Sunday and all throughout the week. It never needs to sync or needs tech support, but
I continually drop to my knees for support. It isn’t a black band on my wrist, but something you can
absolutely see me wear daily.
I am still a mess, but God meets me in that muck every day. I’m finding that physical health and spiritual
health go hand in hand. So each morning, I get up, say good morning to God, take that shower, and
strap on my Fitbit. I get my steps, and God is right there with me. So here is the most meaningful
challenge request, I challenge you to turn it all over to God. All the mess, doubts, worries. His plan for
us will be far greater than we can imagine for ourselves. His perfect ways of transforming your
imperfections will take you much further than you could ever imagine. Christ took my 300 pound self
and asked me to go for a walk. Although in my health, I have lost over 70 pounds, in my spiritual health,
I have gained a kingdom. I can tell you without a doubt what I hold more dear. Wear your faith proud
and don’t leave home without it.
