Ever think about THANKING God for your ability to exercise?

Keith LeClair, ECU Baseball Coach 1997 - 2002

 I'll be perfectly honest with you; I don't always look forward to exercising (shocking, I know...). There are many mornings where I'm simply too tired, not feeling well,  have too much to do or  just don't feel like it. I say this simply because I feel there is a common misconception that those who incorporate physical activity into their lives regularly always enjoy doing it or have tons of motivation to just get up and go at the drop of the hat. The truth is that we all have good days and bad days.

On that note, I want to share something with my readers that God laid on my heart this morning during my run. I'll be honest, it wasn't such a great run. I was tired, feeling dehydrated and basically just not up for it. About 2 miles in for some reason my mind wandered to thinking about some family friends of ours: the LeClair family. Keith LeClair (husband and father to two wonderful children) was the coach of the ECU baseball team from 1997 - 2002.  In 2002 Keith was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly referred to as ALS or Lou Gehrig's Disease. For those of you who are familiar with this disease or have had the misfortune of watching a loved-one suffer with it, you know what an awful and debilitating disease this is. For those of you who may be less familiar with ALS symptoms include a slow deterioration of muscle function until basically your body is unable to function on it's own. The irony of this painful disease is that your mind stays sharp through the entire process. By the end of the disease's progression Keith was confined to a wheelchair, on breathing machines and basically unable to function - keep in mind that all-the-while his body was deteriorating his mind stayed fully in tact. To watch this transformation was heartbreaking. The faith of Keith's wife and children is something to be admired and aspire to as a Christian.

So, I want to ask you today - are you making use of the blessings God has given you? It's funny how quickly we forget about "small" blessings such as our ability to move, see, hear etc. We may not always feel like exercising but perhaps we should be a little more thankful for the fact that we can exercise. 

I know there are many, many other stories similar to this one; as always, feel free to share your thoughts. You can read more about Keith here.