Stretch Out!

Okay… This may sound a little corny… but I always loved to watch my wife STRETCH!  She was very active, exercised regularly and kept a fit figure.  Therefore, she tended to select clothing that best accented her slender physique and normally wore T-shirts and tops that were less bulky and more form fitting… which… to my personal delight… would define even more of her wonderful shape, whenever she raised her arms when yawning, STRETCHING out a kink, singing funny action songs with the kids, reaching up to take something down from an upper cabinet in the kitchen or even climbing up into the cab of her Suburban.  To me, when she STRETCHED out… it showed off new and exciting aspects of her beautiful self.

She was not very ticklish, so her STRETCHING out did not avail itself for me to tickle her… but it did present an opportunity for me to slip in close for a tight, but gentle hug!  Which actually seemed to happen fairly often… which makes me think, as I look back today… that she may have done it on many occasions, fully EXPECTING the hug that it would elicit from me!  As I have stated before, she definitely had a playful, adventurous and even mischevous side to her!

I have to admit, that it was a portion of scripture that I have been studying all week, that stimulated the “STRETCHING” memories and caused me to take another delightful stroll down memory lane.  In talking about his ever increasing desire to intimately “know Christ and the power of His resurrection,”* the Apostle Paul declared his need to continually STRETCH out from his comfort zones, in order to reach the things ahead, that God had for him to accomplish.  He put it this way, saying,

“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and REACHING FORTH unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (KJV) 

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges informs us that the term “reaching forth” is “The Greek (one compound verb) that gives the double thought of the runner STRETCHING out his head and body towards his goal.”

I was a member of the track team in Junior High and understand the need for the runner to keep his or her focus on the goal… and not look back or to the side, as that would cause them to lose precious seconds in the race… but to STRETCH toward the finish line and particularly, as they would STRETCH out in order to be the first to move the ribbon. (of which I never had the honor… but I did come close on various occasions and earned a letter at the end of ninth grade.)

The point that I believe that Paul was trying to bring out in his example, was not just how it brought out some of Piper’s beautiful attributes, but that we are to continue moving forth throughout our lives and not be afraid to STRETCH out from our comfort zones… as we persevere in our regular efforts to intimately know, act upon and share more and more of Christ and the power of His resurrection in and through our daily lives.

What I have repeatedly learned since Piper’s homegoing, is that the more I STRETCH out and away from the comfort zones that I enjoyed in my life with her and lean into the new and different life that God has for me today… the more I see, experience and enjoy the beauty of His plans for me.  And you know… it makes me want to come in and share a close and gentle hug with Him!

When is the last time that you stepped away from a comfort zone and STRETCHED out to follow through on something special that God has presented to you?  It may not always be an enjoyable process… but the feeling is euphoric as you break the ribbon at the finish line!

Have a wonderful weekend, and as you do… enjoy a good STRETCH along the way!

 

*Philippians 3:10 – (KJV)