I am back friends!!!  Yes!  Back to movement.  Back to living life.  Back to this blog!   I trust that you all are doing good.  Well, the limp is gone.  The pain is gone.  And, I want to say that the treadmill is gone too but I won’t because I realize that the pain that I experienced was not the treadmill’s doing.  You know how we (human beings) do.  We always try to blame someone/something else for our mistakes, mishaps, mess ups, blunders, problems, and pain.  Yep, even me.  My first thought when I began to feel the pain from my treadmill workout last week was “that damn treadmill has to go”!!!

What a minute. Friends, I had to check myself!   Was I really going to blame the inanimate treadmill for the pain??!!  No!  I knew better!  I quickly realized and acknowledged that I caused the pain.  Yes, I decided to increase my daily walk from 2.5 to 3 miles per hour bypassing the incremental increases that I’d been using over the past few months.  You remember that I shared with you all last week how my confidence was through the roof.  This working out thing is not new to me so I expected to feel some discomfort but I did not expect to experience excruciating pain!

The second thought that came to mind was in the form of a question, “Should I have pushed myself?”  Hence, last week’s blog title.  And, within the body of that blog, I referenced an old expression “No Pain. No Gain” which happens to be today’s blog title.  As soon as I wrote the phrase last week, I questioned it.  Is this so?  Is this based on scripture?  Does gain really require pain?  What will I gain from this pain? 

While recuperating over the last week, I searched for answers.  I discovered that others have had the same question and they have found biblical scriptures that one can say supports the expression, “No Pain. No Gain”.  The Book of Hebrews has quite a few.  And even greater than that is the example of Jesus’s crucifixion, death, and resurrection. The pain (Jesus’s suffering and death).  The Gain (Jesus’s gift of life and blessings to us).  Again, this is all very general for the sake of the blog but I pray that you get the gist of it all.  Now, I must say that the gain that I have received due to the pain that I experienced includes, burned calories, more defined leg muscle, and *wait for it* content for last week’s and this blog.  Was the excruciating pain necessary?  Absolutely not!  Had I paced myself better, I would have only experienced what I consider slight discomfort.  Unnecessary pain can and should be avoided!

Nevertheless, friends, the next time you find yourself experiencing mild, moderate, or extreme pain or discomfort in any area of your life, don’t fall into the blame game (reflect and if necessary, check yourself); and then look for the gain, the reward, the lesson, the blessing.  Remember, All things work together for the good of those who love God….  Amen.  And so it is!

(Side note:   Continue to stay safe everyone as you get ready for the holidays.  And look good while doing it. Click here.) 

The next show will be up this Saturday, November 21st, 2020 on  https://youtube.com/MarilynsCafeSociety.  Also, check out the all new marilynscafesociety.com.  And, be sure to “like”, subscribe, SHARE, and follow my social media platforms at https://twitter.com/marilynscafesoc; https://facebook.com/Marilyn’s Café Society.  Peace.

Live. Laugh. LOVE.

Marilyn