Walking and Thinking With Effort

#2014-0128

I've been trying hard to strengthen myself. With pains in my lower back and my right leg, I cannot stand or walk for long at a time. (Nor can I sit or lie as naturally as I did before!) But I know I need outdoor exercises every day; otherwise, my physical condition will become worse. And how can I have a cheerful mind without health? [Here by health I just mean "the state of being normally healthy" rather than "perfect strength, no weakness at all."] If I will not get back to normal or if the pains in my body continue to be serious and unbearable, how can I live in real peace? How can I have a hopeful life? And a happy life? . . .

Oh, dear Lord! You are almighty and all-knowing God. You do know what I need. Teach me all I need to know and what I must do to improve my personal life, to enrich my social life, and to enjoy my family life!

While I was taking "exercise" on the nearby playground this morning, I found it hard to walk naturally and rather difficult to think positively. (I am not a pessimist, nor am I always in an optimistic mood.) In fact, I was greatly troubled because the physical pain kept disturbing me: my waist was so stiff and sometimes my right leg hurt so sharply. To reduce the pain, I had to slow down my movements and frequently change my posture -- say, from moving back and forth for a couple of minutes to standing or sitting for a few moments, from resting on the rock under a camphor tree to walking slowly again in the winter sun. (Praise the Lord! The sun in this season could really warm me up.)

And what else could I do at the same time? Well, as a matter of fact, when taking this kind of outdoor exercise, I could really do nothing new but pray. I prayed and prayed and prayed, just as a very hungry man is badly in need of food. I need God's help. I need his special advice right now!