I am loving my new (old) job at Chick Fil A.  It has proven to be a lot of hard work, but a lot of fun as well.  It has also allowed me to reconnect with old friends, and make new ones.

HOWEVER.  I am almost 5 years older than when I last worked there, and about 10 pounds heavier.  Sigh.  I don’t mind being the next-to-oldest employee they have…most of my coworkers could be my children.  But my knees mind terribly!  The days I have a 3 or 3 1/2 hour schedule, everything is great.  But there are 2 days a week when I work either 7 or 8 hours.  And Chick just replaced the rubber floor (which is not as hard on feet) with a standard tile.  And like today, I come home walking funny and soaking my feet immediately after getting home…not to mention the Tylenol and Advil I take to stay at work.

Which brought to mind something I had read, and it basically says for every one pound you lose, it’s like taking 4 pounds of pressure off your knees.  That same study says that if you lose 10 pounds, you are reducing the pressure on your knees by 48,000 pounds for every mile walked!  That extra weight also causes an early breakdown in your cartilege because of the extra pressure.

Like many things, this principle also applies spiritually.  There are many people I know – myself included – who still carry excess emotional/spiritual weight that hinders us in our journey with the Lord through this world.  My knee pain causes me to limp and walk like a 90 year old when I get off work, and it slows me down while I am there.  It takes me a good hour after work to recoup and be ready to do something else.  The regrets and baggage of the past do the same to our spiritual walk.  That extra weight keeps us “limping” through life, not enjoying the walk, and not accomplishing all that we could because we are slowed down by carrying it.  It also can tear down our future ability to be effective by breaking us down.

So, in addition to a renewed commitment to lose weight, which you may not need to do, I am also making a renewed commitment to lighten my spiritual load, by dumping some major past issues, and looking ahead to what God still wants to do with me.  As Paul said in Philippians 3:13-14 “….but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead…”  Anyone want to join me?