As I recovered from chemo, I knew I had to rebuild the energy reserve I had lost through the destruction of my body cells. However, there was a big issue. How was I to rebuild my stamina and energy level when I had no energy to even start the process? During the treatment and afterwards, I suffered intense fatigue that cannot be explained. As my doctor described it, my energy reserve tank was broken, and my body could no longer alert me when I was running low on energy. I only realized my energy was all gone when I “crashed”, which meant there was absolutely no energy left to use and I was immediately forced into a nap. I had to learn to manage my energy level by constantly doing the key things which restore energy to the body, such as good nutrition, lots of hydration, rest, and sleep. I knew exercise was important, but I did not know how to start.
I decided to start at the very beginning and with baby steps. I walked in 5-minute increments, still having to catch at least two periods of naps during the day to provide me additional energy to carry me through the day. The baby steps gradually added up, building up my stamina, until a year later when I was able to run two 5km races, three months apart, with race completion times that many people did not believe was true. By this time, my crashing episodes were completely over, eliminating the need for me to nap during the day to aggregate energy, and I had substantial energy reserves to draw on.
I recognized this was an energy paradox. Although I started with no energy to begin with, I had to sow energy to reap more energy. Exercise improves the efficiency of the heart, which supplies more oxygen and nutrients to our body tissues, making more energy available to our bodies. Using energy drinks, caffeine or other artificial energy boosters really do more harm than good, because they mask your need to build your energy reserve until you are completely drained and your body reacts by being stressed. If this habit is kept up over a long period of time, this increases the risk of stress related diseases.
Through scientific research, God graciously provides knowledge to humanity that enables us to live in good health. This knowledge allows us to provide his temple- our bodies- the energy it needs to function. Just like you ensure your gas tank has enough gas at all times so you do not get stranded by the road-side while on a journey, your energy tank should always be adequately filled so that at any point in time, you are ready and available to be used by God to do whatever he wants you to do, without running out of energy.
Every time is a good time to remember that as a child of God, with his holy spirit dwelling in you, you are no longer your own, you have been bought with a price and you now live solely for God’s pleasure and to glorify him. The command Christ left us was “love one another as I have loved you”. This is the key thing he will be checking for when he returns to take us home. Those who he will welcome into his kingdom will be those who gave him something to eat when he was hungry, gave him something to drink when he was thirsty, welcomed him in when he was a stranger, clothed him when he had nothing to wear, and came to visit him when he was in prison. If you do this to the least of his brothers and sisters- your fellow believers- you do so unto him.
It takes energy and being in good health to love others the way God wants you to love them, self-sacrificially. Ensuring you have the needed energy and good health is your responsibility and positions you as a vessel that Christ can use for his purpose any time and any day. To create the energy your body needs, you primarily need adequate nutrition and hydration, adequate rest and sleep, adequate movement, and exercise.
So, when you think you don’t have the energy to start that workout program you’ve always wanted to start, remind yourself that exercising will bring you much more energy than you started out with, because you need to sow energy to reap more energy.
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