Nowadays, the use
of illegal drugs, chain smoking and the abuse of alcohol are rampant around the
globe. These life-threatening vices cause a lot of damage in the physical body
of those who are being dependent or addicted to it.
A lot of people
who undergo hardships in life tend to think that doing these vices as part of
their “daily routine” will help them solve their problems. However, they are
not aware of the real outcomes that may happen to them by depending too much on
cigarettes, illegal drugs and alcohol. That is why they choose to keep their eyes
close, in order for them not to see all the consequences of what they are
doing.
As these vices make minds a
“blank spot,” these problematic people seem to forget all their problems for a
while. But as the time goes by, these vices begin to ruin their lives and make
everything more miserable. They forget to care for their physical health
because they have allowed themselves to be “eaten” by hard situations. So,
instead of finding solutions to put everything into place, they have led
themselves into an absolute misery – they are putting themselves in the midst
of death.
There is one person who
inspired me to practice a healthy lifestyle. He is Mr. Paul Wrenn, a
multi-national and world title holder for weightlifting. He won 24 national and
14 world power lifting titles in “Open and Masters” – a popular weight lifting
competition.
Wrenn is already 68 years old,
but his strength “overpowers” his age. He can lift a high-weighing person by
his head, break a thick wood into two with his hands and he also lets a man to
punch his stomach at his best to prove that he is still strong. He shared to us
his two secrets on how he has maintained his tough and healthy body, despite of
aging.
Mr. Wrenn’s first secret is
discipline. He avoids smoking, taking illegal drugs and drinking alcohol. He
has no vices at all. He eats fruits, vegetables and lots of protein to fortify
his muscular strength. Then, he exercises regularly for good metabolism and
strong cardio. He has that ability to say to himself “no” to bad lifestyle. He
never abused his physical body – he continues to practice a healthy lifestyle
even now that he’s already a bit old.
I like his first secret, but I
love his second revelation. Mr. Wrenn told us that his source of strength was
his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
As a Christian and a believer
of the Living God, I am so blessed and motivated by what he had revealed to
us. Like Mr. Wrenn, my faith in God is
my source of strength that is why I am able to face all the circumstances in
life. My faith always reminds me that there is Jesus who can be our refuge in
times of trials and sorrow – and there’s no reason to give up. Mr. Wrenn
believes that he cannot do what he can do today if the Lord is not with him,
likewise to my situation. It says in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things
through CHRIST who STRENGTHENS me.” And so, I strongly believe that Jesus’
presence in our hearts is our strength.
I had a lot of realizations
during the last week’s message. I was so blessed to meet a person with a strong
body but with a humble heart. Mr. Wrenn became a good example to me and to my
fellow scholars in terms of having a good lifestyle. There is no
reason for us to kill ourselves slowly with vices when we have problems – if we
feel like giving up, let us always remember that our body is the temple of the
Holy Spirit and He is always there to give us STRENGTH to face all the ups and
downs of life. Live healthy and live life to the fullest!
*I wrote this journal last January 23 this year during his visit in the Philippines. It was such an honor to meet him. I was blessed to see him so strong despite his age because GOD gave him that strength!
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