Sore

Written by cycleguy on July 6th, 2014

Not as “in angry.”

Sore as in “I haven’t done this for a while so now I am sore.”

No brainer: I am a cyclist. I am not a weight-lifter. Well…at least not in the summer. I generally tend to lay off weight-lifting because it means being indoors in the summer. Weight and climbing hills do not go well hand-in-hand so what weight I put on in the winter from lifting, I lose in the summer from inactivity. Except for this past winter when knee surgery confined me to an indoor trainer.

I was able to ride 25 miles on July 4th and had planned to ride the 5th, but let’s just say Jo had other plans. πŸ™‚ I was a little antsy after we got home so I decided to brush off the Bowflex (a gift from someone…it was used) and do some lifting.

Wrong thing to do.

It has been several weeks, maybe a month since I last used it. As I write this I have some very sore pec and neck muscles. Sure am glad I have a massage scheduled for Tuesday. πŸ˜‰ I have this sneaking suspicion the muscles will get more sore as the day moves on.

Unused muscle groups protest when they are stretched. How much like life that is. We settle into a routine, a rut, and move on through life. No challenges. Nothing new. Same old same old. Mundane. Routine. Blah.

My spiritual life is like that sometimes…more than I would like to admit. I settle in. I coast on past lessons. I let life happen with no real excitement. Oh…and then…I stretch. Or should I say God stretches me and man, does it hurt! I get sore.

Soon my physical muscle soreness will be gone. The spiritual? Well, it will hurt as long as I am stretching. But it is necessary.

Are you being stretched or do you sense a time of stretching coming, i.e. do you need stretched?

 

21 Comments so far ↓

  1. Daniel says:

    Being around people always seems to stretch me. Because it is painful after I have been alone for a bit to then go out into public and interact with others.

    • cycleguy says:

      For an introvert being around people is stretching naturally. Being alone for awhile and then being around them heightens the stress level. My thoughts are with you Daniel.

    • Kari Scare says:

      I understand this, Daniel. I could be alone most of the time and be okay. Yet, I know interaction is important. Even going to church on Sundays is often painful.

  2. the Old Adam says:

    I do get sore in this life from the physical things that I can’t do too much anymore…

    but the spiritual stuff, I leave to Jesus. He can handle all of that stuff very nicely.

    I’m just going to try and live the best way I know how and keep my feet on the ground.

    Hang in there, Bill.

    • cycleguy says:

      I suspect you have noticed (as have I) things get us sore that we used to really enjoy? πŸ™‚ As for the latter statement: I tend to keep my feet on the ground. It hurts less when I fall.

  3. I liked being stretched, even though it’s not very comfortable.

  4. Pam says:

    Always enjoy your spiritual connection within your posts. Good analogy!

  5. floyd says:

    It’s a discipline to strive toward our Father and things He desires for us. Too often we need that painful reminder to “draw nigh unto Him”. I can relate, Bill.

  6. Kari Scare says:

    During the summertime, I try to be more flexible and spend time with my boys instead of always writing or working in some way. So, my current stretching is to be more spontaneous, which is difficult for me. When they go back to school, I sense that a time of mental stretching will take place. I go to the extremes too much though, and I need to find balance between being stretched and atrophy.

    • cycleguy says:

      Since my girls are on their own, I find myself becoming much more physical than in the summer. I need to find a balance sometimes as well.

  7. Betty Draper says:

    I like the spiritual challenge of being stretched. Right now it’s putting together the material for the retreat I will speak at in Oct. Yesterday I got the advertisement for the retreat and when I saw my name on it as the speaker I had an inside panic hit. I thought, why did I say yes to this? Then the Lord reminded me I did not seek this, it came to me through Him, the panic left and the challenge came back. I am grateful to be used of Him. Good reminders Bill.

    • cycleguy says:

      Nothing stretches us like having to speak. I have always contended that the one who teaches learns more than the student. I have confidence in God and in your reliance upon Him that you will carry His message Betty.

  8. Dan Erickson says:

    Oh man, I feel you. I go off again on again with exercise and put myself through muscle soreness every time I do.

  9. David says:

    I guess I’m being stretched but it feels more like the can when kids play “kick-the-can” on a really, really long walk … :-O

    • cycleguy says:

      you too? When we played kick the can we used it as more of a hide and seek idea with the can “free-ing” everyone if it was kicked. And it was kicked as far as possible. yep, that’s me.

  10. I feel like I am being stretched. It’s a little painful, but necessary.

  11. Ed says:

    I haven’t gone to the gym in ages, and I have this “push” that makes me actually want to go. But I’ve been stretched physically, mentally, and emotionally during the past couple of years and I hate it. But if the Lord says it’s a must, then it’s a must. πŸ™‚