The Gym

I went to the gym yesterday
It wont kill me to skip a day
I wont instantly gain weight
So just let me go and play
Working out can wait

I lifted a few weeks ago

My waist line hasn't begun to grow
So what if I skip another day
Tomorrow, I'll surly go
Today, I am going to play

Its been a month or so

My Toneness has started to go
So Im deciding to save my fit body
Im skipping the gym no mo'
Tomorrow Ill lift devoutly

A few pants sizes higher
I am now an XL buyer
To the gym I no longer go
But, don't call me a liar
I can go work out tomorrow

That's coach Benji

     Before my mission, I went to the gym almost every day of the week. If anyone looked at me then or now, no one would be able to tell but that's okay. I went with one of my best friends named Benji. I hated that stinkin' kid! We were at the gym at 6:30 and usually only were there for an hour. But, there would be mornings where I would call Benji and say, "Bro, I'm tired...I worked late last night. And I think I might be getting sick..." Hoping he would stay home and then I could get some extra shut eye. Then, the brat would say, "Thats okay! I hope you are getting well. I wanted to lift with you today but I'm already at the gym so I can just do it alone." And like that he guilt tripped me and I was at the gym 5 minutes later. Or he would say, "Come on, man! You're starting to really progress in (whatever the area we were working out) you can sleep in tomorrow!" He wouldn't let me sleep in the next day. And then when I was at the gym he was my spotter. He would count how ever many lifts I had to do and then I was probably going to go into heart failure cause he would count like this. 1, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4, 5...acting like nothing had even changed. And then when I would be yelling at him to take it, he would make me do one more. And then one more. Until I dropped the weight and he caught it. Benji was also my personal dietitian which was even worse then my coach at the gym. He would ask me what I ate the day before and how many sodas I had etc. I would call him at times and ask, "Is this healthy?" Usually he would laugh and say, "Just cause it's in a salad doesn't mean it's good for you." I was driving to Idaho, it was a 6 hour drive and I was T.I.R.E.D so I called him and asked if I could get an energy drink. Cause I was probably going to die if I didn't...I thought my justification would work. Welp, it didn't. I came out of a store with fruits cause they provide "healthy energy". Psh. 

We thought we could push over
this tree, cause we lifted

     Even though I complained, whinned and complained some more, I loved the kid for what he did for me. The amount of excuses and justifications I gave him must have been down right annoying. How weak I am was probably fun for him to watch. And my lack of motivation to eat "healthy" was minimum. And yet, he stuck with me and for reasons I still don't understand, he was cheery about it! When I would drag my feet into the gym, he was perky and ready to get going! He was totally fine with carrying around my dead weight and getting me to do things that I never thought I could. I never thought I would have a gym pass. I never thought I could lift the amount of weight I did. I never thought I would order a salad over a burger and not ask for bacon bits. And then I came on a mission and lost everything I worked so hard for...I can repent about that when I get home though. 

     The thing is, he could have forced me to do a lot of things. He is a lot stronger than me and a lot more capable of hurting me then I could ever dream to do to him. Just like Jesus Christ. He had the ability to call leagues of angels to clean up that temple. He could have just winked at the pharisees and they could have been struck dead. But, He didn't. He allowed the people do what they did. Benji allowed me to skip the gym if I wanted to. He could have dragged me out of my house if he wanted to though. He asked me and invited me to follow him. Just like Christ did for everyone who came to Him. Even to His apostles He asked them to come, didn't demand, didn't force, just asked, "Follow me, and I'll make you fishers of men." (Matt 4:19) It's our choice to eat healthy or not. It's our choice to go to the gym or not. It's our choice to follow Christ or not. He won't force you to do anything, He will just ask. 

Peter

Peter

I wont fail or fall

I will fish this sea

I'll do this till I die

Along with sons of Zebedee

We will feed our family

Then He said, "Follow me."

I follow the master now

Often times confusingly

I speak up and say

"I will defend thee,

and slay the enemy."

He says, "Satan, get behind me."

We are the ocean

When He says, "Come to me."

I jump the bow full of faith

And take a step or three

Then I doubt, and suddenly

I scream and He's holding me.

"You'll deny me thrice."

The master said to me

For once, I hope he's wrong

But me they see

And ask questioningly

And I deny all three

The master is gone

John took Marry

And it's time to go back

So on the sea

With the sons of Zebedee

He calls and says, "I told you to follow me."

This was a not for reals shot, not being serious here
Just notice the adventure time t shirt

There is this TV show called, "Adventure time." And I thought it was straight up silly and that I would never watch it. Then my little brother came to me one day and presented me with a question. "Wanna watch adventure time with me?!" And I responded with something probably close to me saying I am far to sophisticated for such childish programs and I needed to go read  my college textbooks. Well, me being as wonderful of a older brother as I am, I consented to the belittling of my superior intellect and watched the first episode along side my little brother. After the episode he said, "Wha cha ya think?" And I told him I had puppies to save and the cure cancer to develop. But, humbling  myself to my younger sibling, I gave in again to watch yet another episode. When it ended, I told him to play one more episode. For further studying of course. And then we watched another, and another and another until I had finished the whole first season and was searching to find the next one. Now, I am excited to go home when I do and catch up on what I left off.

Didn't think I could climb that

Another thing I thought I would never like is country music. I grew up despising country music with a fiery passion. And then, one day on the radio we heard Taylor Swifts hit single, "Love Story". My friends all sang along while I covered my ears and sang some oldie song. I felt so left out and felt like I was missing out on the "in" thing. So, I lowered my hands and started to listen. That is when I heard the sweetest sound I ever heard, Taylor Swifts voice. She really did open up a whole new world for me and country music. Still growing to like it, but, something I said I would never like, I now have an entire playlist dedicated to. One can tell they are going to have a good day when you wake up to T-Swift. True story.

Lastly, I never thought I would finish my LDS mission. The amount of people who asked me, "Are you going on your mission?" And the amount of times I would come up with some lame blanket answer to basically tell them to beat it. I didn't want to go just to prove people I can do what I want. I didn't want to go cause I knew how hard it was going to be. I didn't want to go cause I knew people will hate me for it. I didn't want to go cause I will get hot and sweaty every day. I didn't want to go for the amount of work I had to put into it. I didn't want to go for a list of reasons.

Now, this is me reading into the scriptures and taking poetic leeway, but, why would Peter go back to fishing? Why would he deny Christ after serving with him for so long? From my personal view, because it was easier. He already knew how to fish, he had done it all his life until his apostolic calling. I had done my way of life all my life before my mission, why go out of my way to do something hard when it's easy and good where I am? He denied Christ cause they were about to kill Him. Would you have the courage to say that the man they are currently beating and whipping, "I am with Him." Not only would it be easier to say, "Don't know him" it would be a lot safer. He would have less people hating him as would I. I wouldn't have people walking up to me or waiting for me to walk up to them to tell me I am going to hell. It is a lot easier to just fish, for me to stay at home and for us both to just go about our life.

Didn't think I could do that either

I didn't have Christ come up to me on a sea shore and call me to follow him, but, I did have this thought. "Why would I, your Lord, take upon your sins? Why would I die for you? Why would I be hated of men for you? Why would I do what I did for anyone? Because I love you and I love them. And you cant go out there and serve them? Just cause it's hard and uncomfortable?" Why did He? Why did Peter go back? Why am I on my mission? Because of love. Christ loved me enough to do what He did for me. Peter loved his fellow man and Christ enough to do what he did. And I love God enough and people enough, even if they hate me, to be out here and to do what I do. John 15:17 "Love one another." That doesn't mean, love when it's convenient or easy. Only love when love will be returned. It says love one another, to love our neighbor. To turn the other cheek and to give to those who have none. He gave His life for me, I can give up two years for Him and for others.