Rehearse Your Moves

I spoke at the Western Kentucky Botanical Garden last Monday as part of their spring Walk and Talk luncheon series. The topic I choose was “Rehearsing Your Moves,” based on a warm-up tip I discovered in my dancing days.

It goes like this. If you are a golfer, stand in your golfing stance and take pretend swings before you get to the green. If you are going to play tennis, do some backhands and forehands without your racquet first. Rehearsing your moves warms up the specific muscles you will use, helps your body find the tempo that works best, reduces your chance of injury and even improves your performance.

Because I was speaking at a garden, I told the audience about the importance of doing bending, squatting, digging and hauling motions before they even get into their garden.

At the end of my presentation, I heard, “Oh my gosh, is that Theresa Rowe?” I turned and there was a young man in a wheelchair looking at me like an old friend. He introduced himself as Bryant, and told me he watched my exercise show, Shape-Up, on television every single day.

I was dumbfounded. I could see that Bryant had little control over his upper body and legs; even his head required the support of his wheelchair. Why in the world would he watch any exercise show?

Then my own words came back to me. Bryant was rehearsing the moves he would use one day, if not in this life then in the next.

In that moment, I felt I glimpsed God’s view of our lives. It took my breath away.

My friend Suzie, the Director of the Botanical Garden, told me that Bryant is fluent in 14 languages, and that he gives the tours for their Spanish-speaking visitors. What an image of the Scripture that says, “I am the true vine, and my father is the gardener…every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” (John 15: 1-2)

Blessings,
Theresa

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Theresa is a former model and nationally certified fitness professional who teaches people to use their faith to inspire fitness and their fitness to strengthen their faith. She is the author of Shaped by Faith: 10 Secrets to Strengthening your Body & Soul, and three exercise DVDS: Pilates for the Soul, Strength Training for the Seasoned Soul and Pilates Stability Ball.

She and her husband, Robin, have seven children and live in Calhoun, Kentucky.