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There's this lady that goes to my fitness club. Anytime I go after 9:00 in the morning, she's there. Seriously. Of course, I haven't actually taken a log of when I go, and how often she is actually there when I go, but it seems like it's all the time.

And the disconcerting thing is how thin this woman is, and how hard she works out. She follows the same routine everyday. She puts the treadmill as fast as it will go with the incline set as high as it will go, and she runs for thirty minutes. She gets off and goes to the restroom, then she gets back on and does that for another thirty minutes. I think she does that four times, for a total of two hours every day.

I don't know much, but I would be willing to bet the few dollars that I have she is anorexic.

And we all just look the other way.

Her feet pound on the treadmill so fast and so loud that you can't ignore she's there.

But we all do.

We're all concerned, of course. Someone has given the manager of the club a book they want her to read about eating disorders. I've talked to the manager myself. "Has anyone noticed this lady has a problem?" We all express our apprehension to each other about her well-being.

"She could drop over dead anytime."
"She has a daughter."
"Can't the club do something?"

Then we pick a treadmill a safe distance away, and go about our routine.

I wonder how all of us will feel if this beautiful, frail mother does slip away while we sat and watched, feeling too awkward to do anything? What if I teach her daughter in school 13 years from now? Will I be able to look her in the face, knowing I hadn't even tried to reach out to her mother?

Almost 9 years ago, when Scott and I ministered in Missouri, he gave me this job. When he made the request, I groaned and rolled my eyes. "They won't be interested. I don't even know them! And I've waited too late." But I called anyway.

"Hi, Tommy. I know we've never met, but we are starting a couple's Bible Study tomorrow night. Do you and Karen want to come?" They were having problems, and Scott thought this might be the answer.

"Sure" he said. Right, and I'm Miss America.

But the next night, Tommy and Karen came. And they brought friends! I almost fell over. In less than a month, Tommy, Karen, Mike and Heather were all baptized into Christ.

"But, I'm afraid to get involved!"
"What if my neighbor isn't interested?"
"She might not think there's a problem."
"Do I really know what I believe?"
"What if she takes up too much of my time?"
"Maybe she's getting help from somewhere else."
"Surely God doesn't really send people to hell?"

But He does. While we all wander around too busy enjoying our too busy schedules to reach out to the neighbor or co-worker or football mom who needs Jesus. While they pound away at life, we move a safe distance away so we won't notice the desperation and emptiness of their lives.

But, "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God reigns!" Isaiah 52:7[/scripture]

I think I need to workout this week.

"Today's Little Lift" from Jim Bullington

Mercy and not Sacrifice (Sept. 30, 2010)