Steady as He Grows

I have reached the point in life when my doctors are increasingly younger than I am. At last year’s physical, my whippersnapper of a general practitioner wanted to make sure I was “keeping my body moving as I get older.” I turned in confusion and wondered if somehow my 75-year-old father was also in the room and the doctor was talking to him instead. After the visit, I was determined to drop those pesky ten pounds I’ve been holding onto for years before I returned to the doctor's office.

As I stepped on the scale in his office this year, I frowned, realizing that all the salads I tried to eat over the last year hadn’t done the trick. My doctor asked me how I had been feeling, I replied, “Just a little frustrated that I’m too old to lose weight.” Breaking out his hip iPad, he reviewed my charts and said, “Don’t be so hard on yourself. Your weight has stayed the same for a decade. Quick changes are easy, persevering for the long-haul is much harder.”

Booking my appointment for next year, I was grateful for the decade of data that told a different story than what was in my head. How often in life and leadership do I fixate on trying to hit new goals or make quick changes - but the fruit is short-lived? In my quests for change or improvement, do I forget the importance of good maintenance? In always trying to reach the next milestone, I can easily lose appreciation of the whole journey. In my faith, how do I understand the connection between discipline and discipleship?

I decided I still want to try and lose that weight, but I would be satisfied if Doogie Howser, MD gave me a high-five for maintaining the things that I have been working on for all these years. As we seek grow in our relationship with Christ, let’s remember that it’s not the resolutions that we make, but the resolutions we keep that will determine how close we get to the finish line.