What is flexibility? It is defined as “the quality of bending easily without breaking.” It is really important to be as physically flexible as you can be.
Activities that lengthen and stretch muscles can help you prevent injuries, back pain, and balance problems. A well-stretched muscle more easily achieves its full range of motion. I sure wish I had listened to this early in my life. I am not a physically flexible guy, and I believe I’ve had to pay the price.
As many of you know, July 2 is the anniversary of my stroke. I am doing pretty well. I honestly believe I would be much better had I been more flexible. So I go from here.
But what about your “life flexibility?” I’m guessing you are probably wondering what in the world I’m talking about.
In the last five months, things have been pretty crazy. Things we had planned to do have been changed or canceled. Many folks are “tore up from the floor up!” They are running around in circles trying to find out which way to go.
It’s time to stop for a minute and take a deep breath. Now, look up to God and ask, “What are you up to, and what do you want me to learn?”
This is where “life flexibility” comes in.
“I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.”
Jeremiah 29:11 (MSG)
We had our softball schedule all laid out nice and neat. Then COVID-19 hits, and everything is changed. Now we wait for the new schedule to come out, and then we’ll adjust. I am so grateful to the Lord for teaching me what it means to have “life flexibility.”
Initially there was a tournament scheduled for June 19-21 in Chicago. There wasn’t another one we were interested in until it got moved to Cincinnati. That one would have worked out for us to play in, and all would be fine. However, that’s not all the Lord had in mind.
For several months, I’ve been thinking about what kind of shoe and clothing drive we could do at a tournament. But nothing seemed to fit just right. And then, BANG! God says, let’s do it in Cincy. Ten days before the event, the scramble began. But God just softly kept reminding me to trust Him. We were able to hook up with The Lords Gym, a ministry for high-risk individuals in the Cincinnati area. With the help of the USSSA, Mid America Ball Yard, and many helpful coaches and players from The Conference, we were able to collect $500 cash, lots of shoes, and lots of clothes. What started as softball was much bigger than we imagined. But “life flexibility was a key. What a blessing!
During this pandemic, we, well actually my wife, had been saying we need to get the storage building straightened out. This is where we stored all the shoes and clothing that was collected. We needed to distribute some while organizing others.
Monday, June 29, was the starting day with plans to wrap up on Wednesday. As we started getting all the clothes rebagged and putting them in the van to decide what to do next, the Lord said, take them to Owsley Co. Andrew Hammond had driven down to help. I looked at him and said. “What do you think?” He said, “Let’s go!”
I sheepishly looked over to my wife and asked her what she thought. Jan smiled and nodded yes! We had the Sports Reach fifteen-passenger van seatless and ready to roll. That van was totally stuffed!
I called Linda at Emma Quire Mission in Booneville to see if they needed clothes. I could hear the excitement in her voice. There had not been any clothes donated in five months, and people were asking for help.
So off, Andrew and I went. Not at all doing what we had planned, but doing what God had in mind. There will be many folks who get clothes because of God teaching us “life flexibility.”
I share this not to puff us up in any manner. This has not been an easy lesson to learn, but being flexible is critical to becoming all God wants us to be.
Get ready for some spiritual stretching. It may hurt a little, but you will be better off for it.
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