Choosing to Move

This post is by René Bancroft.

I still marvel at those who call themselves “morning people.” I have never been a morning person. I’m more of a “wake up in time to go to brunch” kind of person, yet that’s not the lifestyle I lead at all. When I had children, that all changed because I was not just responsible for myself any longer. I had to become a morning person. As much as I didn’t like getting up before the sun, it made for a much more enjoyable morning. Having a few quiet moments to get myself to stretch a bit, get ready, and spend some time with the Lord always made it possible to have a more positive mindset.

Trust me, there were definitely mornings that did not run so smoothly, and it seemed no one was moving in the right direction!

When we take the opportunity to give ourselves even 15 minutes to stretch our muscles, it helps to wake up our brain. And while our mind is waking up, we can begin conversing with the Lord. As we stretch our bodies, we can marvel at God’s creativity in making our human form. As we pause and breathe in deeply, we can be joyful that we have the ability to move. When our ability to move is taken away, we miss it the most. 

I have experienced this a few times in my life. As a busy mom, sometimes, all we can do is daydream about resting. But when something like recovering from a car accident or surgery happens, and we are forced to rest, well, it’s not so much fun anymore. 

So many times, we take for granted our ability and accessibility to move. I’m even in a season where I cannot go outside to walk to protect my skin from the sun before an upcoming surgery. It’s also a time where the gyms and many hiking trails are still closed due to the coronavirus. What’s a girl to do? 

Well, I posed that question to our college-age daughter who is at home with us right now, and she reminded me that we have Roku TV. Brilliant! I opened it up and began to search the myriads of exercise videos on youtube. There were more than enough to choose from. Some of the favorites I’ve discovered are quick 5-15 minutes pilates stretching videos that you can do standing up. No mat or special equipment required! 

Acts 17:28 says, “For in Him we live and move and exist [that is, in Him we actually have our being], as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.’” (AMP)

God has created all living things to move: to be active, to be productive, to be creative, and to acknowledge Him in all we do. Physical exercise isn’t the only way we can move. We can be active as we engage in worship music. We can walk around our home, or the neighborhood, while we pray out loud. Movement in our body brings in oxygen, which makes our brain active, and all that allows us to think about all the ways we can honor God with our body, soul, mind, and spirit. 

In that same way we choose to receive the Lord, He gives us options regarding what we do with our bodies. When we wonder about our connection between our body and the Lord, we can go to His Word. In 1 Corinthians 6:19, we get a clear answer: “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is within you, whom you have [received as a gift] from God, and that you are not your own [property]?” Even as I type out this verse, I am convicted, but through God’s grace, I do not have to feel shame. 

It is a gift to have freedom of movement. We can use it to honor the Lord as we care for our family, bring dinner to a loved one, volunteer in the community, walk across the street to chat with our neighbor, or raise our hands in worship to our King. 

How will you move today?

René is a 6th generation, born & raised, Southern California girl, currently residing in Altadena, CA, and has known the Lord as her Savior since she was 8 years old. She & her husband Tony have been married since July 14, 1990. Together they have raised three daughters & have one son-in-law (Sierra 21, Savannah 25, and Caitlin 27 & Joey). René has a mother’s heart and serving women of all ages is what she has been called to do for the past 25 years. She currently serves at church with Tony in leading a LifeGroup for young adults in the Entertainment Industry; as well as serving as marriage mentors. René is a mentor-mom and works in Mission Care with One Voice Student Missions, as well as meets weekly with 3-4 young women as a student mentor at Azusa Pacific University. René believes in the authentic beauty of who God created women to be, and desires to bring others into their own giftedness as she shares her story of God’s goodness & provision throughout her life. In her free time she loves to meet friends for coffee, to read, and to write for her blog.

Photo by Matthew LeJune on Unsplash