Everyday Living

Iron Sharpens Iron

~ Faith, Fitness/Exercise, Stories

”Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.“
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭27‬:‭17‬ ‭(ESV)‬‬

Human achievement, even at its highest level, will soon leave the achiever unsatisfied and unfulfilled. We will always need just a bit more. Conversely, to understand that all we achieve is by divine providence is essential for finding contentment and satisfaction in any endeavor. Such does not remove us from our responsibility for effort and determination, but realizing that true strength comes from God and by His grace sets one free! It is a shield against pride!

Most of us would probably agree that living life could be compared to riding a roller coaster. We have our ups and downs. And, the amount of uphill track, plus the track careening off the the top and heading downhill, is enormously greater than the very short and brief moment at the top! Most of our time is spent on the slopes!

You probably know that I’ve always attempted to be very active. Through the years this has encompassed a lot of various physical activities. I love the outdoors and I like being busy. There has certainly been times of discouragement, you know, the roller coaster. But, last year proved to be one of the most difficult. Another was 2007. This is not my story, but is about tremendous encouragement brought to me by someone else’s story.

I had hoped to be stronger and well by December, but instead found myself unable to do much of anything that required physical strength and movement. I was weary but chose to return to the gym in January and try to get better. The first day, I noticed a young man moving along very slowly and with great effort, and this was to only get into the building. He got my attention and I observed him for several days as he worked out and I truly wanted to meet him.

Meet Josh. Josh is 29. He was born with Cerebral Palsy. Josh joined the gym in December. He started out walking on a tread mill at a pace of 0.5 mph for 30 minutes. He had improved on this day in early March to a pace of 1.3 mph for 30 minutes. That’s an increase of more than two and a half times his original pace. Josh hopes to gain some weight too and has made progress from 104lbs to 113lbs. He’s pumping iron!

Josh was wearing leg braces and used a walker as a kid. He was told that by high school he would be bound to a wheelchair. He donated his wheelchair to a rehab center that works with children!! Josh loves to drive his truck and is attending college. He was very open and excited to share a lot of his story with me. This machine strengthens the back. Josh uses more weight on this machine than I attempt.

Josh found that he could temporarily escape life’s challenges with alcohol and other things when he was about 14. A number of things came from this as you might imagine, but one I will mention is that this destroyed family relationships. Josh offered this to me…”If you had asked me about religion back then, I would have told you I was an atheist”. Josh did a lot of things wrong in those days (like the rest of us), but is doing what he can to restore relationships. He lives with his dad now, and has for around 3 years or so. He desires a relationship with his mom, but doesn’t see her. His paternal grandmother lives near and Josh spends time with her in various ways. He is grateful to have the opportunity to nurture that relationship. More about grandmother in a minute.

I posed this question to Josh one day…”If I asked you today about religion, what would you say?” His answer went something like this…’I am a follower of Jesus and I am here today because of God.’

By the way, this exercise is difficult and requires leg strength. I don’t think my knees will allow me to use this machine any more, but maybe I just might give it a try!

There’s a good bit of weight on this bar. If you observe closely you will see a difference in the arms and hand grips. Josh has to lift the bulk of this weight with the left arm. Most gyms have a rule that requires users to remove weights from a bar when finished, and to clean the area for the next user. It is impossible to enforce such a rule and therefore it really comes down to courtesy. I’ve observed Josh and found him to be extremely courteous in this regard. He not only removes his weights when finished, but he makes his way to a cleaning station and returns with supplies to clean his workout space. Quite honestly, it’s much harder for Josh to do these courteous things than for most gym goers, and many don’t bother. I have witnessed courtesy, kindness, and respect in this young man. He sets a great example!

Josh’s grandmother had a very positive influence on him over the years. I can identify with that. She does not drive but Josh provides the transportation she needs as well as helps in other ways. He is the grocery driver, Dr. appointment driver, and go to church driver, to name a few. We have discussed a lot of things, and even though Josh says “I’m an open book”, time and space will not allow for everything. The bottom line is that Josh is an encourager to me and many of my gym going friends. An encourager is what he desires to be, so I’m suggesting he is accomplishing that and more. Maybe this is the most important part of his workout? Our bodies and our outer being cannot and will not always be well. We do the best we can, knowing that time or disease or tragedy will diminish us and eventually claim victory over this physical body. Death is our greatest enemy. It is the inner self, our spiritual health that determines if we will be victorious over such a formidable foe, posing this question; Is it well with your soul?

I commented on this shirt and discovered Josh got it at a men’s conference he attended at a local church. I thought it was a perfect shirt for Easter/Holy Week!

We would love to leave you with these magnificent words from scripture and the book of Isaiah:

”Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.“
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭40‬:‭28‬-‭31‬ ‭(ESV‬‬ )

 

Linking with:
 Pieced Pastimes,  Between Naps on the Porch, Katherines Corner, Follow The Yellow Brick Home,
 Life and Linda

 

Comments

  1. What a powerful story of strength and resilience! Hod bless Josh ! Thanks for sharing. Happy Easter .

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  2. What an extraordinary young man. He is an inspiration. I am really moved by his bravery and determination and yes, by his faith. The story tells us much about you too, Butch-that you stopped to talk with him and learn his story. A little divine intervention there…

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  4. The scripture from Isaiah 40 holds great strength and help for Christian’s who follow our Lord. I read it often and suppose that Josh knows it by heart. Without determination or should I say perseverance all of us will give in to self pity. Our strength comes from the Lord. One of my daily scriptures is from Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” Josh has indeed come to the understanding of where his strength comes from . What a dear sweet man. Thank you for telling his story. As a reminder none of us are perfect or sin free but for the grace of God go I.

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  5. Thank you for this inspiring post. Age and chemo have slowed me physically and this makes me want to try harder.

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  6. It is people like Josh who inspire us to be better than we think we can be, do more than we thought we could, to push through the hardest of times and survive with a powerful spirit. Thank you for sharing his story.

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  8. What an amazing story of courage, perseverance, friendship, and the power of the Holy Spirit. Butch, thank you for sharing Josh’s story. I am quite sure you would say your life has been blessed by Josh’s presence (and not the other way around). Please thank Josh for letting you share his journey with us. Knowing your wonderful Everyday Living Family, he will be lifted up in prayer by many.

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  10. Thank you for sharing this inspirational story! Stories like this need to be heard and reflected upon. Thank you again.

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  11. What a remarkable story. Josh is an inspiration to us all. And what a sweetheart! Thank you for sharing his story.
    Happy Holy Thursday

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  12. What a wonderful story of faith, strength, and perseverance! Josh is truly a remarkable young man and an inspiration to us all. Thanks so much for sharing his story with us and the beautiful scripture on this Holy Thursday.

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  13. What a great testimony. May God bless Josh. We love his shirt also! Happy Easter to you and your family. Clara❤️

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  14. Thank you Butch, this is so positive and uplifting, your words give me strength and encouragement..perfect for Easter and a new beginning 🙏

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  15. Dear Josh, May God keep you safe, healthy and strong. You are an inspiration to all of us who struggle with physical challenges.

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  16. We never know where we will discover inspiration as we create the pages of our lives. Thanks for sharing this special story of hope and encouragement during this season.
    Wishing you two and your family an Easter filled with many joyful blessings!

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  17. What a beautiful story and wonderful human being Josh is in this world. Such inspiration and how powerful his message is to all of us. I am a big believer that God puts people in our paths for a reason. To teach us or for us to teach them something about life. Josh has shown all of us the power of striving and reaching for the best life he can give to himself and others.
    Hugs. Kris

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  18. So grateful for the work that God does in hearts and lives. Thank you for this up lifting story in this young man. The gift of God is eternal life. So thankful for the gift.

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  20. Thank you for sharing this beautiful & most inspiring post Butch.

    Happy tears filled my eyes as I read this young man’s testimony in God’s grace & strength in his ‘prodigal son/grandson journey’.

    As you know I’m not a stranger to challenging health conditions so I have an understanding just how much energy & effort it takes Josh to do what he does, far greater then those who are healthy will ever realise.

    May you & Pam have a very blessed Easter weekend with your family.
    blessings, Jennifer

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  21. Thank you SO much for sharing Josh’s story! You two crossed paths for a reason. God wants us to know thru Jesus that we are loved! Jesus died for our sins! Tears of joy are flowing from me!!! Thank you Josh for sharing your great story of Jesus!! We need to hear more about God’s love!

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  22. Thank you for sharing. There, but by the grace of God, go many of us. When I am in pain, I remember God has given me 35 years since I had cancer. Many God bless Josh and your family this Easter.

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  24. Tears filled my eyes – not tears of pity, but of wonder and awe… What a courageous soul is our Josh.. and
    he is really now ours, in prayer and thanksgiving. I embrace him with gratitude for the lesson he taught me this day. Thank you, Butch, for discerning Josh’s light and for sharing it with us. Please continue to
    update us with his progress and continued examples of faith and determination.

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  26. What a sweet, amazing story of God’s grace, redemption, and love! It is not by accident that you went to the gym and met this remarkable young man. You were meant to introduce him to all of us here. I am so thankful he gave his heart and life to Jesus. May God lay His healing hand on you and restore all the strength that you have lost, in Jesus’ name. Thank you for sharing this story. So inspiring!

    Reply

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