Several years ago, when my husband was trying to lose weight (he eventually lost 50 lbs!), he began working out. When Sunday rolled around, he didn’t want to take the day completely off, but he didn’t want to go to the gym or do a hard workout, either. So he started taking a walk around our neighborhood on Sunday mornings–and he asked me to go with him.
I’ll admit that the prospect did not excite me. I’m not an outdoorsy girl or a morning girl, so already this activity had two strikes against it! But I wanted to support my husband. So though I moaned and groaned, I went.
Fast forward to 2015. Our habit of Sunday morning walks is now firmly entrenched. So much so that I really miss that time when we don’t get it due to travel or weather. It’s not that I’ve become reconciled to outdoor or morning activities or even that I enjoy the light exercise. Instead, I’ve come to relish the undistracted time with my husband. Our Sunday morning walks anchors me for the week ahead. We often talk through our schedule, making sure we are on the same page. And we are afforded time to talk about things we’ve been thinking without interruption.
I never imagined when I protested and pouted that this would turn out to be such a good thing in our lives. I guess it just goes to show that you never can tell what blessing the Lord will bestow when you choose to die to your own desires for the sake of one you love.