There’s ½ inch of snow on the ground here in western Kentucky. You have to understand something about these parts: when it snows, almost everything shuts down so cars won’t slip and people won’t fall.
I was wearing heels last night while walking through the snow, stepping carefully to keep my balance. I was also thinking about balance because I was on my way to speak about that very topic to the women of Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY.
Each safe step I took reminded me of how new I am to a balanced life. I have always been pretty strong physically, but not emotionally and spiritually. I spent most of my 20s and 30s anxious, confused, searching, stressed out, teetering on falling apart. In a word—unbalanced.
How do we find balance? The secret comes from a strong physical and spiritual core. That’s the message I shared last night.
I discovered that becoming balanced on the inside requires the same focus and discipline as developing physical balance. Practice and repetition bear fruit and we gradually become stable and whole.
Here are two simple balance exercises I practice daily:
1. I make a time each day to pray and talk to God. My favorite Scripture verse tells us to lean on God for balance and support. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5,6)
2. I put myself in a safe position of imbalance and let my body find stability. I exercise with a balance ball regularly but you could also simply stand on one foot for 15 seconds, and then the other. You can do this on a grocery store line or anywhere. This simple movement will engage your core and build your body’s ability to maintain balance.
I am thankful for having the balance required to wear heels in the snow, and for the inner balance that gives me confidence and security that God has a plan for each one of us.
Blessings,
Theresa
Pictures from Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY
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Theresa is a former model and nationally certified fitness professional who teaches people to use their faith to inspire fitness and their fitness to strengthen their faith. She is the author of Shaped by Faith: 10 Secrets to Strengthening your Body & Soul, and two exercise DVDS: Pilates for the Soul
She and her husband, Robin, have seven children and live in Calhoun, Kentucky.
