You Mean We Have to Exercise, Too?!

Proverbs 31: 17 tells us that the virtuous wife "girds herself with strength, and strengthens her arms." While taking care of her home and family, the Proverbs 31 woman is also called to tend to her body.

This can be challenging for some of us. We believe there is just too much else to do. Too many other important things. Or we just hate exercise. But without our health, we cannot excel at the work we are called to do.

My days -- like yours -- fill up at an astonishing rate. In the past 18 months I've been trying to make time for exercise but it's been challenging. There's precious little time during the day, though I'm sometime fortunate enough to take a walk during the lunch hour. The end of the day is taken up with preparing dinner, caring for the home, dashing off to meetings, caring for family. I just wasn't able to get into a routine of exercise.

So in the past month, I've found the only consistent time to "gird myself with strength" is early morning (And hey, I get to meet the direction in verse 15 that the virtous wife "rises while it is yet night"). I get up at 5:30 a.m. -- which is no easy task, believe me! -- and hit the road with my dog. We head out for 30 minutes walking and jogging and enjoying the still world. I've actually come to enjoy it and I can feel myself getting stronger and leaner. More importantly I've found that exercise clears my head, gives me energy and helps power my day.... And I'm guessing that's something we all need.