And then I saw the link to her blog.*
Despite being aimed mostly at women, I found I could relate to a lot of of her philosophy. The messages included a lot of straight talk about body image, encouragement, positive self-worth, and finishing (not "finishing first," but rather "finishing what you start"). To me, it could be summed up like this: if you have the choice, strong is better than weak, and it is worth your time and energy to pursue strength.
At the time, I was exercising two/three nights a week at an LA Fitness. So, fitness was top of mind for me. I was intrigued. I kept reading. Soon, I realized I was captivated by her positive approach, so captivated I even incorporated it into a Lectionary reflection (“Strong is the New Spiritual” January 2013).
And that brings me to this week's Lectionary selection from Nehemiah. In 2013, I noted the passage dealt with a group of 40,000 people who had recently returned after being exiled from Israel; many of whom had not been exposed to the scriptures while in exile. They had assembled in the ruins of Jerusalem —the walls had been restored, but no houses had yet been built— to (finally) hear the word of God. Their reaction when those were read to them?
They wept.
It’s understandable. Suddenly confronted with just how far their lives had drifted from what scripture required of them —and thinking, perhaps, that it was too late for reconciliation— weeping and mourning seemed entirely appropriate. And you might think this was the response sought by Ezra the Priest and the religious leaders ... but, no.
As we know from Ecclesiastes 3:4, there is “a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance.” Any trainer can tell you, it's not enough to just stop doing something that you should stop doing. You need to start doing something else, replace the negative with a positive. And that is what their leaders did; they told the people to replace their sadness with joy; that it was not the time to weep and mourn. Instead, they encouraged the people to, "Go your way, eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions of them to those for whom nothing is prepared, for this day is holy to our LORD; and do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."
I don’t know whatever happened to “Strong is the New Skinny.” All I can find, now, is the same blog entries I read six years ago. The Facebook page has some content from 2016. A web search for that phrase yielded so many answers, it really was “like trying to find a needle in a haystack.” Maybe she moved to a different platform or to a new blog provider. Maybe she no longer wanted to share her thoughts with the wider world.
Maybe I’ll never know.
What I do know is this: regardless of our circumstances, we must be strong in The Lord. Despite what may be many reasons to mourn and weep, we must find a way to embrace the joy God intends for us. For the joy of The Lord is our strength.
And if that is the definition of strength, then strong really is the new spiritual.
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*Link to her website: (http://strongisnewskinny.blogspot.com/2012/09/a-strong-will-and-faith-to-match.html?m=1).
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PHOTO: Steve Orr
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READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
Third Sunday after the Epiphany (January 27, 2019)
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu//
Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10
Psalm 19
1 Corinthians 12:12-31a
Luke 4:14-21
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We're still having fun at "THE EGG AND I" restaurant. Join us at 8:00 Friday morning for DaySpring’s Lectionary breakfast! The restaurant is located in a shopping center at the corner of New Road and Franklin (just behind Outback). We usually meet in the function room. Ask if you don’t find us.
The heaviest thing you'll have to lift is your fork. And no push-ups required.
Enjoy!
Steve
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