Treading

A couple of buddies dropped by my house last week to drop off an answer to one of my prayers. During the Orientation process it was indicated to me by the Nurse Coordinators, NC that I should be walking on a treadmill for at least 30 minutes a day. My doctors always ask me the question of whether or not I do any kind of exercise. It is always the question I begrudge, with a whence. I usually am prepared to answer them because I know its coming. I always tell them my favorite answer, “I work full time, do house work, chase 2 kids (used to be 4), go to church and do lawn work!” A couple of months ago, one of my doctors looked at me with disbelief and said with a chuckle, “David, you’re more active than most normal people with good health!” He was trying to tell me that I needed to slow down a little and start thinking about myself, in a good way, by resting and taking it easy. I understood what he was saying. I didn’t like it, but I understood. Unfortunately, on most days when I answer that way, they tell me that I need to be doing some kind of sustained exercise, like walking on a treadmill or riding a stationary bike. My usual response is a smile that guards my teeth as they grind. Do they not know that my type of exercise is sustained?!?! I do it all day long!! LOL!


After the NC told us that 30 minutes of sustained exercise needed to be a priority, Angela and I began to pray for a treadmill to either use or buy, though we really couldn’t afford one. Money is no object for God, He owns it all. We passed along the word to a few other people. My best buddy, Brian, put faith to action and started scanning the country side, high and low. He was really excited about putting me to work. This guy really wants me to live longer. He was definitely more excited than I was!! He found one that I could use in his parent’s basement but we came to the conclusion it wasn’t the right one for me because of its size. We needed a small one that folded up against a wall because we have no basement and our house a space saver house. Our house is a little one. So the hunt for a treadmill ensued. Brian called me last week and told me that he had located another one that cost $170.00. I had tell him that we were a little short on cash and weren’t going to be able to afford that right now, but we would pray about it and maybe God will provide for us someway the money we needed. He wasn’t sure if this one was a “space saver” version anyway. Brian said he would make another contact and call me back. Later that day he did in fact called me back and said that he found a space saver treadmill that we could use for as long as we need it---for freeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!! He and Gary, another brother in Christ who owns the treadmill, dropped it off and got it all set up for me. What a blessing. God is so good to me.

1 John 5:14- This is the confidence we (Christians) have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.

When they left I went back to my back room were they put it and stared at it for a few moments. I have to tell you that I have mixed emotions about it. I love it because its going to be good for me to use and keep me strong as I wait for transplant, but I really hate it because it was going to be a struggle to get on it and torture myself everyday for 30 minutes everyday. So I decided that I will just have to hate it 30 minutes a day but for the other 23.5 hours of the day I will love it. Since I got it, I walked on it 3 times. I know, I know! I should have walked on it 6 times! I have been a little sick this week and had to sleep in and when I get home from work I’m too tired. That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it.

We found out my fat little beagle doesn’t like it either. After I walked on it for my first 30 minutes, I got down and caught my breath with my hands on my knees. As I was scanning the floor as I was bent over my eyes caught my fat little Buddy snoozing his Friday afternoon away. I looked at the treadmill then Buddy, treadmill then Buddy, treadmill then Buddy. Hmmm......somebody else in the house is going to start a little exercise routine. I chirped a couple of times with my lips and his ears perked up as he made eye contact with me. I must say, I was feeling a little devilish at that moment. Kind of like a little boy causing mischief with his sister. I chirped again and he came over to me kind of sheepishly, like he knew what I was thinking. The only thing that excites that pudgy little guy is oral consumption of some kind. He has an appetite for anything that smells, tastes and looks like food. He eats apples for goodness sake. So I decide to take him by the collar and hold him gently as I tricked him on to the treadmill by pointing to the treadmill, excitedly. Of course, he fell for it and his nose began to search for the prize. Just as he got up there, I reached up to the dashboard of the treadmill and hit the go button. Don’t worry; He didn’t shoot of the end of it in hyper speed. It started at 1 mile an hour, for crying out loud. I wanted to exercise him not kill him. He didn’t know what to make of it, but he did start walking at a panic pace, searching to and fro. That lasted for a few seconds as I continued to hold his collar and guide him. As he’s walking, his eyes widened as he searched for the nearest exit sign. Finally, he decided he was going to stop walking as he slid back to back of the treadmill and plopped his tail end onto the carpet. I continued to coax him back on the treadmill but he wouldn’t have it. His collar began to come up over his ears as he backed away and shook his head back and forth frantically. His body language said it all. It was if he was saying, “No way, man!!! I didn’t pray for that thing!!” Needless to say, there are no mixed emotions about the treadmill for Buddy. He hates it all 24 hours of the day!! I guess I’ll have to keep on TREADING by myself. God Bless! ---David

Comments

  1. David glad God has answered your prayers with the treadmill! I have to say the part about Buddy made me lol. You have a magical way with words. Thank you for keeping us all posted on your transplant. We will all keep praying!

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