Smile =)

There are many things that make me smile, some more so than others. From the beauty of snow blankets in my backyard to thoughts of old couples holding hands, each moment is unique and precious. There are 3 things this weekend that made me smile in different ways.

Pain

My legs are sore. 2am run. 2 hour sleep. 20km run. 2 hour workout. This pain breaks me, but my shattered state is not irreversible. This is pain is the path all must walk to attain glory - okay, I just wanted it to sound epic. Nevertheless, pain, hurt, suffering is part of our journey to something greater. While some kinds of sufferings are meaningless, a great deal of them change you, transform you, and make you into a better person. So if you're in pain, smile :) Whether it's your muscles hurting, or your heart, smile =) Because there is hope.

Relationship

Relationships make me smile too. Yes, even "relationships". The ultimate smile comes from my relationship with our Father through Jesus Christ. Yet, a glimpse of God's love for us come in the form of relationships between a man and a woman. I have much to learn in relationships and am taking my study under the Master.

Church

I went to Markham Missionary Church this morning. The pastor talked about the camp where he works. His talk reminded me of the upcoming retreat we have with UTCCF. There were a few points that stood out to me:

Jeremiah 6:16, "Thus says the LORD, 'Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.' But they said, 'We will not walk in it'."
  • We can learn a thing or two from the ways of old. Many in the modern church community abandon hymns and scripture memory, among other traditions that enrich your life.
  • It reminds me of modern day fitness, which has been commercialized. The things that used to work (squats, running, ...., hard work) are slowly being recaptured.
Breath of fresh air
  • The pastor said that when you boil away everything nonessential from Christianity from a pot, if everything were to just vaporize, you would have at the bottom a breath of fresh air.
  • This breath is our relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
Come, Discover
  • I saw some of the most unique props on the pulpit today: porcelain sink / pitcher and a chamber pot. These were items given to campers when they would come to retreat (the camp has a 120 year history and there's a picture of the camping grounds - 1919 - with a Model T)
  • Today we are distracted. When going to a retreat, we think about the food, the washrooms, the amenities, ... and we forget that at the heart of it all, retreat is a place to ... retreat. A place to meet with God. An invitation to come and discover (and rediscover) Jesus Christ.
  • I can't help but think of modern day fitness gyms where some people "multi-task" by reading a book or watching television while getting a "good" workout in. But these days, there is much greater heterogeneity in individual motivation to show up in a fitness facility. I'll leave it at that :)
So whatever this day finds you doing, I hope reading this post made you smile =)

Smile with Lots of Love,

Josh =)

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