Hymn in the Gym
An unexpected encounter
This morning I dragged myself out of bed. The sun isn’t even fully up, so why should I be?
As I mulled over that pithy logic, I dressed, grabbed my bag, and trudged out the front door.
Now I hope some of you will empathize with my feelings when you hear my purpose. I was on my way to the gym.
But hold on! you might say. Gyming is such a wonderful, refreshing, exciting, thrilling, special time! Well, I wasn’t feeling quite that way on that morning. It had been quite a week, and getting up that bit earlier was eroding my “happy ration” for the day.
Anyway, I got through my workout, and made it to the showers with just enough time before heading home. I was mentally distant, thinking of the day ahead, when I heard someone singing.
I don’t know about other gyms, but generally, no one sings at my gym. If they do, it’s usually between a hum and a breathless squeak. This was real singing, confident and clear. Someone was singing a song that I didn’t recognize, and I heard the word “Jesus.” Then he began a variation of “Thy Word Is a Lamp unto My Feet.”
I was, well, shocked. In a couple of minutes, this guy had both inspired me and put me to shame. He was sharing his faith in a simple, powerful way. As Dwight L. Moody put it, he was “preaching from his Bible bound in shoe leather.”
When he finished singing, he smiled and said, “I hope you have a great day!” Then he picked up his bag and walked out. You’d better believe my day turned upside down and inside out in a great way. I told my fiancée about it when I got home. I told my friends. I told my family. I told just about as many people as I could, and now I’m telling you.
What I took away from this experience is the following:
1. See Matthew 6:19–20. 2. www.HelpingHandSA.org
1 There is always someone near you that you can influence in a positive way. There in the gym, this guy changed my outlook and blessed me through his willingness to honor God. He had no idea what I was going through, and he didn’t have to know. Likewise, we’re each continually meeting, interacting with, and influencing many people. If we can exhibit joy in a weary world and kindness in a “social”—yet socially inept—society, we can change lives too. 2 God knows how to encourage us when we need it most. He timed it so that I would hear that singing just in time. Timing is everything, and God is perfectly on time, every time. 3 Never judge by outward appearance. I think I’ve probably missed out on something great many times in my life because I was too quick to judge.
I’ve read that most people size up and mentally judge a stranger within 30 seconds or less of meeting them. One thing I learned from that is to always strive to be a good example, because others may not allow us a second chance to convince them that our faith is real. 4 Think of the big picture. One song, one kind word, one smile, one good deed, one note, one email, one tip, one pat on the back, one hug, one [fill in the blank] can have a constructive impact far beyond the effort it takes to do it. Those eternal dividends cannot be measured by earthly standards. Let’s be willing to invest more in the long-term results, even, and especially, when we cannot see them yet. 1
Let’s be examples of Jesus, and let’s do what we can to show Him at every chance ... even early in the morning.