Learning Curves, Injuries, and God Stories

For the last 5 years, I've been on a journey to better health and higher fitness. Even though I was passionate about health and exercise before that 'starting point' I didn't really know how to start getting fit- I didn't know anyone who liked to workout for more than being skinny. 

After my husband and I got married he encouraged me to try CrossFit (that was met with a resounding NO). I took up yoga and after a patellar dislocation in January of 2017, began seriously working on my fitness. I started running in March of 2017, then added in some sad excuses of bodyweight training over the summer that year. 

After an extremely rough pregnancy with my first child during 2018 I started working out again, this time determined to lose the pregnancy weight. 

I walked, started doing HIIT exercises through the Keep workout app, and started eating cleaner. No sooner had I started seeing the weightloss (truth be told, there wasn't much strength to show with it) I found I was unexpectedly expecting baby number 2 in May of 2020. While I tried to stay healthy by eating clean during her much easier pregnancy, I was working full time with a toddler and typical zero-energy pregnancy exhaustion; doesn't make for a good routine in the workout department.

6 weeks after our second was born in January of 2021, my husband was headed off to basic training for the US Army National Guard. While he was going through basic and AIT, I was starting CrossFit with my teenage sister-in-law. 

Let me tell you, I was not exactly being enthusiastic about it. I had convinced myself CrossFit was a dude sport and was also internally battling my husband's attempts at helping me with my fitness. 

Pride at its finest.

This was the first area where God met me. 

I was struggling so much with my pride to the point I was letting myself suffer being overweight and so out of shape that walking up stairs had me out of breath.

After my sister-in-law suggested we do the CrossFit style programming my father-in-law had put up in their home gym, I was pretty hesitant. I wanted an accountability partner though, so I said what the heck. 

That firs workout had me DYING. I wish I could access my results so I can shake my head and thank God for EXACTLY how far I've come. 

A severe kidney infection in October of 2021 had me stopping workouts for a few weeks- add on top of that moving into an apartment right over the holiday season, and it was the perfect storm for weight gain and progress loss.

The end of January 2022, I finally joined my local CrossFit box. Not even a week in I dislocated my patella again while doing knees-to-chest (a jump where you bring your knees as close to your chest as possible). I was down for 10 days before slowly getting back into the swing of things.

Then in April, not even 2 months later, I did it AGAIN on broad jumps. Emotionally wrecked was an understatement. I couldn't walk for 3 days due to the pain and stiffness. Literally was on my butt scooting around the house for 3 days, because any pressure had me buckling. (Yeah I know, I should have seen a physical therapist... but those are hard to come by in my area and the only way to really get a referral is going to the ER. Hard pass.)

But then God.

This year I've really been seeing a challenging of where I'm at in my faith.

From my Dad's cancer diagnosis right before Christmas 2021 (which God has done amazing works in that situation) to seeing the constant reminder of doing everything for the glory of God.

And it's getting more and more in my face.

The 4 months I've really seen a pattern of 'For His Glory' through the Christian rapper KB and his HGA mantra, through verses, and finding several fitness influencers and brands on social media.

My fitness journey for the last 5 years had been about me and it always ended in discontented attitudes towards my body, disordered eating, and obsessive tendencies. 

This life isn't about me: it's all for His glory and I haven't been living that loudly for the world to hear and see. 

My fitness is for God's glory: a testament of His strength in me. 

My capabilities are for God's glory: not for people to say 'look what she can do!' But to loudly proclaim 'look what I've been fearfully created to do!' 

I don't want this life to be about me, because it's not. It's about becoming better, being capable of helping others around me, and ultimately showing off the One who has brought me through the last 25 years.

So now that you're up to date on how I got here, I hope you enjoy following along as I share more insights as the Lord reveals things in my life. 

All for His glory! 

Peace be with you, my friends.