I Prayed For This...

I've been paying a personal trainer for a couple of years. Three I think. I've changed trainers one time, so a year and a half with each trainer. Both very good. I do this because I'm not a creative gym go-er, and because I'm not about to do 5000 squats on my own. Occasionally I'll put together a work out for myself, but there is just something about having someone else do the coaching, and prodding. Often, my cute trainer (and I say cute like little brother cute) comes up with an exercise that KILLS me. During the course of the exercise, I will start chanting, "I paid for this, I paid for this, I paid for this..." Scott usually laughs maniacally, and says something like "only 1000 more to go, your doing great! Dig deep! Keep it up!"

I write about this because I'm seeing a parallel in my life. Spiritual Training through Motherhood. I have One Personal Trainer and three junior apprentice trainers. I get an amazing work out with my three junior apprentice trainers; every day. Except they don't do really well with the words of encouragement. Mostly it's all about the breaking me until I'm so worn out that I'm ready to cry. It's those moments that I have to remind myself "I prayed for this, I prayed for this, I prayed for this..." I'd compare it to spiritual prison camp, but maybe that's going a bit too far. Maybe spiritual boot camp...

Thankfully, I do have moments where my One Personal Trainer shouts down from on high with words of encouragement, or at least a small break from the madness before it starts up again. "You're doing a good job! Try the exercise this way it might work better, or move your feet to this spot, and you'll get a better result. Dig Deep, keep it up!" It's those moments when I feel like the training is worth it, and I remind myself that "I prayed for this, I prayed for this, I prayed for this."