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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: PROCRASTINATE (08/04/16)
The weight hovered above my chest. Straining with everything I had, I managed to push it up another inch. Sweat rolled down my cheeks. My arms trembled as they weakened. Another couple of seconds and the barbell would fall. I closed my eyes and with one final effort shoved the bar upward. It reached the full up position and I lowered it into the bracket on the weight bench. Gasping, I let my arms dangle to the floor. Five sets of ever increasing weights after squats, pull-ups, and dips. I was spent, and only halfway through my workout.

Next up was stomach crunches, and I wandered toward incline bench. A couple were entering the health club, the woman pushing the man in a wheelchair. From the corner of my eye, as I settled into my abdominal routine, I saw them finish checking in and head for the pull-down rope. She positioned him under it, and from his chair he began performing the exercise. Just as the burn in my gut was increasing I got the strongest impression that I should pray for the man.

One of the things I tried to do was to hear God’s commands, or at least feel His nudges, when He wanted me to do something. That had led to me praying for a hospital orderly in the middle of a busy floor with doctors and nurses detouring around and giving us strange glances. It had resulted in my asking a retail checkout clerk if she knew Jesus. When she said that she didn’t, but wanted to, I ended up leading her to the Lord with a line forming behind me. Fortunately her manager didn’t fire her or kick me out of the store. It did leave those queued up muttering rather loudly, however.

All that to say that this urge wasn’t new to me. The problem was, darn it, I was in the middle of my workout, had limited time today, and wanted to get the whole routine completed. The couple moved to another machine that he could do from his chair, and the insistence within me grew.

Legs. Okay, I’d do the legs working abductors and adductors—inside and outside my thighs—then I’d go over. “Are You happy, Lord?” Couldn’t a guy just get done what he wanted to do? When I completed these reps I realized I needed to do the pull-downs the guy in the wheelchair had done. “Just this one more set, Lord.”

I got through with those and looked around. He’d disappeared. I shrugged. Whatever. And went to another machine that I hadn’t yet done. Looking up I noticed him wheeling out of the locker room. I’d taken one step when a heavyset man approached the chair. I halted, not wanting to interfere with that conversation. The woman stooped for a drink at the fountain and joined the men.

The three seemed to be deep in conversation so I kept going to different weight stations, every now and then glancing over to the threesome. My hour was almost up; I needed to shower and leave. They were near the locker room door. As I approached, they bowed their heads and the heavyset man laid his hand on the shoulder of the one in the wheelchair.

“I feel something in my legs! They’re tingling! I think they’re growing stronger!”

The heavyset man raised his head with a dumbfounded expression on his face. The man in the wheelchair reached up, grabbed his arm, and pulled himself up. He took a tentative step, then another. All the while the heavyset guy stood with his mouth open. The former wheelchair resident began dancing. “I can walk again!”

The woman looked joyous but as astonished as their new friend. “Danny hasn’t walked for twelve years since the accident. I can’t believe it!”

Meanwhile Danny was going up to everyone in the place and hugging them. When he finally got to me, I asked, “What happened?”

The heavyset man answered. “I felt led by God to pray for them right then and there. This is amazing. I’ve never seen anything like this.”

I left the club with mixed feelings, happy for Danny but upset with myself. I was Plan A for God to be the vessel for His healing balm. When I didn’t respond to His timing, He had Plan B in the wings. He could have used me, but I blew it and learned a bittersweet lesson.
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This article has been read 678 times
Member Comments
Member
Date
Joe Moreland
08/14/16
This is a well written story. And I'm sure that if I were put in a similar situation that I might walking away feeling similar to the MC.

However, I'm not sure I can get on board with the idea that the all-knowing, omnipotent, God has a "Plan B" in case we don't respond to being His "Plan A".

Other than that, I felt the story was very good. The MC was very realistic and the inner-dialogue authentic and felt very much like something anyone who's into working out might pu
Joe Moreland
08/14/16
This is a well written story. And I'm sure that if I were put in a similar situation that I might walking away feeling similar to the MC.

However, I'm not sure I can get on board with the idea that the all-knowing, omnipotent, God has a "Plan B" in case we don't respond to being His "Plan A".

Other than that, I felt the story was very good. The MC was very realistic and the inner-dialogue authentic and felt very much like something anyone who's into working out might pu
Joe Moreland
08/14/16
This is a well written story. And I'm sure that if I were put in a similar situation that I might walking away feeling similar to the MC.

However, I'm not sure I can get on board with the idea that the all-knowing, omnipotent, God has a "Plan B" in case we don't respond to being His "Plan A".

Other than that, I felt the story was very good. The MC was very realistic and the inner-dialogue authentic and felt very much like something anyone who's into working out might pu
Joe Moreland
08/14/16
Sorry, my computer decided I was done with what I was saying, I guess. :)

Anyway, I felt the routine the MC was going thru was also realistic. It is a solid piece of writing and I found myself engaged the entire way thru.

Nice Job!
Pat Small
08/16/16
I enjoyed it. Sort of agree about Plan A and Plan B, but who am I? God's ways are not our ways.
Shann Hall-LochmannVanBennekom 
08/19/16
This is a powerful story. I often wonder what I miss out by ignoring God's promptings. I get what you mean by a plan B. God was going to heal the man; it was his will. Unfortunately the MC missed out on that glorious feeling we get when we follow the Lord's prompting and help others. It's a marvelous blessing. There were a few spots where I'd argue with you over commas and semicolons ;) but overall a well-written story. Congratulations on ranking 13 overall. Happy Dance!