Many Parts...One Body

Good Morning!  What a glorious Thankful Thursday!  My daughter and I have recently started doing Zumba.  If you don't know what it is, you should check it out.  It is a fun way to do a not so fun task.  It is a form of, dare I say the word, ... exercise!  I saw it on an infommercial some weeks ago and I thought it would be a great way to help me in this struggle to get some weight off and get in shape.  So, I ordered the dvd's and eagerly waited for them to come.  I thought they would never get here, but get here they did!  So, Jenifer and I decided we are gonna Zumba! 

Two days a week we get together and 'dance' our way towards fitness.  It is fun.  It is exhausting.  It is exhilirating.  I love it.  I think Jenifer likes it, too.  Now, you say, what does Zumba have to do with Thankful Thursday?  Well, I'll tell you.  I am so thankful that God has given me a body that I can do Zumba.  No, I am not to the point that I love my body...in fact, I pretty much don't love it.  But, God gave it to me and I am thankful for it.  Prayerfully, with a healthy diet and with this exercise, I will get to where I at least LIKE my body.  (*smiles*)

See, it doesn't just take a healthy diet to have a fit body.  No, it takes much more...it takes exercise, too.  It takes discipline to be able to eat well and to exercise.  Doing both of those will help you to have a better attitude and a better outlook.

It is the same with the body of Christ.  God created the 'body' with many parts.  Ephesians 4:10-12 says, "So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers,"   I Corinthians 12 tells us that there are many parts to one body.  Take a look at verses 20-26:  "²⁰ As it is, there are many parts, but one body.  ²¹ The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!”  And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!”  ²² On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³ and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor.  And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, ²⁴ while our presentable parts need no special treatment.  But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, ²⁵ so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.  ²⁶ If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it."  What a wonderful explanation.  We need to be thankful for each part of the body.  Every eye, every hand, every toe...they are all an integral part of the whole.  It takes each part to make the whole work properly.

I am so thankful for the body.  And I am thankful for this broken down, out of shape physical body that I have.  What an amazing and awesome God we have!  I only pray that I am able to keep up the 'work' that I have begun with Zumba...and I pray that I will always remember the importance of EACH member of the body of which I am a part!

God bless and have a Thankful Thursday,