A Lesson in Faith

     I think most of us would agree that the opposite of faith is unbelief and fear. I learned a great lesson through my yoga practice recently that I want to share with you. I have been practicing yoga for about a year and a half and have been able to gain some muscle and strength in the process, but one of the things I seemed to have trouble doing was a headstand. I could do it if I was against a wall for balance, but not otherwise. At the end of September I went to my yoga training retreat and one of the many things we worked on was a headstand away from the wall. I did it away from the wall, but only because I had someone to catch my feet as I kicked them up. So, when I got home I was determined to learn to get into a headstand and stay there without anyone helping and no wall!

   One morning, I decided that maybe if I knew I wouldn't kill myself if I fell, just maybe I could do it. I then had the idea to get close enough to the couch so that I would land on it if I did fall--but not close enough to be able to touch it. In other words, I couldn't use the couch to help me get up or stay up, but at least if I fell I knew I wouldn't break anything!

   I thought that one of the reasons I couldn't get up without help was lack of strength. I'm not the strongest 40 (almost 41) year old I know! To my surprise, I quickly found out that I DID have the strength to get up AND I stayed up!!! I was so shocked that I actually did it, I almost fell. I had to really contain my excitement in order to stay up!! I didn't touch the couch and I didn't fall!! This was a HUGE success for me :)

    I learned a very important lesson about God through this! How many times do we not do something out of fear of falling? We think we aren't strong enough, or that if we fall God may not be there to catch us!! If we trust and know that He WILL catch us, we usually find out that we can do more than we think. It is His strength~not ours. I did fall one day, and it was scary, but the couch was there to catch me and I was okay. It's the same with our wonderful Savior!! We WILL fall from time to time, but it's okay~He always catches us!!

   I really wanted to take a picture of me in my wonderful new headstand, but I don't want to add to the pain in my upper body that I have had lately. You'll just have to trust that I CAN do it;) Knowing that is good enough for me! I don't have to prove anything to myself by doing it everyday and taking a chance on hurting myself. I am having to really learn to listen to my body in my yoga practice, but at the same time, yoga is one of the most helpful things for me right now:)

   Is there something you have been afraid to try for fear of falling?

"Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, Be strong, do not fear; your God WILL come..." Isaiah 35:3-4