Look Up!

“She had been bent double for eighteen years and was unable to stand up straight. . . . Then [Jesus] touched her, and instantly she could stand straight.

How she praised and thanked God!”

Luke 13:11, 13

• I felt like a rusted hinge. So I tried a low-impact exercise class. Crouched on all fours, our instructor said, “It’s good for your heart if you spend time on your hands and knees.” Apparently, our hearts pump better when hanging free in the rib cage; with more oxygen, energy and endurance increases. I smiled, reminded that kneeling in prayer fortifies hearts, too. Although our bodies may not bow that far, our spirits can. Scrubbing floors or picking up toys—when coupled with prayer—doubly benefits us. That day I walked home a little taller before reading about the bent-over woman in Luke 13. I like to imagine her name was Hope. Looking down for so many years, did she sense that one day she’d look up into a brand-new life? That is how I want to live each day, even when my faith seems firmly enmeshed in the dust. No matter the view ahead, God invites us to exercise hope.

#inspiration #cupofcomfort