Gems From The Well

In these strange and difficult times, we all need a reminder of where our hope is found…come to the Well…

By Shirley Fruchey

James 1:2-3; Hebrews 10: 35-36 & 1 Peter 5: 8-9

“The Trouble with Spiritual Yoga Pants in a Pandemic!”

Many years ago, I wrote a piece for Women’s Ministries called “The Trouble with Yoga Pants.” I was much younger, had small children, and was a stay at home mommy. I was full of exciting ideas about my home, family, and my Christian walk.  

My routine was set! My prayer life was in check, and my faith was as firm as the “six-pack set of abs” on a bodybuilder! I felt like I was TOGETHER!!! My exercise program was in full swing. Betty Crocker herself would have been envious of my meal planning and homemaking skills. I was regimented about my daily time in God’s Word and time in prayer. My kids and their routines were the focus of my day, and my husband came home to order, peace, and a meal ready in the evening. We ended our days with bedtime prayer and gratitude to our Creator. Life seemed perfect…

And then… Change came speeding in like a runaway Mack Truck on the downside slope of the I-5 Grapevine!!! (Imagine, if you will, the sound of a grinding engine and screeching breaks!!) EEEEKKKK! And then, my life hit a wall that even Mary Poppins and a bucket full of “sugar” couldn’t fix! My well-oiled machine of life became a mess of chaos as I stammered through each day. My prayers became pleading with God for survival, and my faith was SERIOUSLY tested! I did, however, persevere. And I learned some huge lessons along the way.  

We’ve all experienced this in one season of life or another, and it doesn’t matter what our “Mack Truck” of change is. It can be home issues, work issues, health, or pandemic. When change speeds in and smacks our “wall” called life, we need to be ready and prepared with a prayer life that is in shape and can go the distance. We need faith that will persevere through the season of change and chaos to send the enemy running for cover.

So now….back to the Yoga Pants and the trouble those comfy things can get you into.  Yes, they are comfy.  They are stretchy.  They are EXTREMELY forgiving of a few pounds because of one too many Double-Doubles from In And Out!  And really, what could be wrong with that?  Nothing!!!  Except…well, I’ll explain with that piece that I wrote years ago….

“I wore those Yoga Pants EVERYWHERE. I wore them camping. I wore them in the house, garden, market, shopping, Bible study, and just about anywhere else.  

I’d go to lunch with my girlfriends and if I ate a little too much, well, no big deal. I had on my trusty Yoga Pant! I went on like this for months. Then, one day, when it was raining outside, I went to the drawer to put on a pair of good, sturdy, warm jeans. It was cold, too cold for even my beloved Yoga Pants. Well, when I tried to slide on those jeans, they were tighter. In fact, they couldn’t zip! They didn’t fit!  

Then I took a long look at what I’d allowed to happen. You see, my exercise program was gone. The eating program was back to the fast-food drive-through. And then, I realized that slowly I’d allowed myself to get lazy and relaxed about what I KNEW was necessary for my health and physical well being. Just like those Yoga Pants, I let my routine to “stretch” out of control. It’s tricky business when you’re getting “stretchy” because you don’t really notice. It happens a little at a time. Inch by inch. It’s sneaky.

Now, there is nothing wrong with Yoga Pants. But, when we begin to allow ourselves to get lazy and “stretchy,” we will probably find ourselves wondering how we got there!  

Our spiritual lives can suffer this kind of “sneaky stretching,” too. First, you might start skipping your daily devotional time with the Lord. After all, we are busy women! Then comes Bible Study, then church, and pretty soon, you just can’t remember the last time you sat with God and really prayed. It can happen quickly.  

It only takes a moment to break a routine that up spent months building. You’ve allowed yourself to go around in “Spiritual Yoga Pants.” Soon, you won’t have the structure and discipline in your spiritual life, it takes to walk you through trials and changes. You won’t be able to “zip” up the commitment to reading God’s Word every day. But, we HAVE God’s word to help us stick with our Spiritual Workout Program! We can be firm and fit in our faith. Our prayer life can be healthy and in shape.

The Lord provides us with “Gems” in Hebrews 10:35-36, James 1:2-3, and 1Peter 5: 8-9.

In these scriptures, God explains to us the importance of “Firm Faith,” “Self Control,” and “Perseverance.”  

If we can stand firm and strong and stick with our Spiritual Workout Programs, we will be able to be counted with “those who do not shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.” (Hebrews 10: 19) We can stand our ground. We can lift our load in life, and ride through the changes in life. We can run the race without growing weary and bless those in our lives along the way!

 Looking forward to seeing you at the well.