This is my sister...my baby sister. She's an NPC Bikini Competitor.
This is me...her bigger sister. I'm a momma of 4 littles.
We're as different as night & day, my baby sister & I. I'm 4'10". She's 5'6". I'm a bottle-aided blonde. She's a deep brunette. We couldn't be more different...but I'm learning that we are more similar than I thought. I used to think that it was my job to teach her things, but little does she know how very much she's taught me.
Her sport is intense...like intense borderlining insanity. I can relate. Being a mom is intense, & more often than not I err towards the insane side. Her life is not her own in many ways. She trains rigorously year round. Leisure time is nonexistent, & she often is forced to choose between what she wants to do & what she needs to do. I never dreamed I'd see the day when she'd turn down a shopping trip, but I can't count the sacrifices she's made to ensure that she's in the gym. Again, I relate. My life is not my own in many ways. It belongs to 3 little ladies & a little man. The demands of my thoughts, my time, my energy, & my efforts are rigidly devoted to them. Leisure time is nonexistent, & I often choose between what I want to do & what I need to do. I never dreamed I'd see the day when getting a daily shower was considered pampering...the sacrifices a mother makes are countless.
She adheres to a strict diet. Yesterday she turned down birthday cake...birthday cake. She uses a little scale to meticulously measure the quantity of food she consumes, & eats a precisely proportioned & plotted meal every 2 hours...exactly every 2 hours. She carries an enormous lunchbox with her wherever she goes, & in it carries every meal that she'll consume. She's goal-oriented. She intends to do what it takes to earn her Pro card in her sport. She's disciplined. She's in the gym twice a day no matter what. She's determined. She pushes herself to do better & be better in every show she does. She has willpower the size of the Grand Canyon. She turned down birthday cake, for crying out loud! While I can relate to her in many ways, we are still very different...a bikini will never again touch this stretched & saggy body. I will never, never pass up piping hot French fries. I have no desire to diet & workout like she does...I workout so I can eat!
And this is where my baby sister has not only inspired me, but she has taught me a thing or two as well...because I want to be all the things she is: goal-oriented, disciplined, determined, & a master of willpower. Thankfully, I've already got a goal: to be a disciple & to make disciples (namely my children) of Jesus Christ, & to be the best daughter, wife, mother, & friend I can be....now I need to implement the lessons I've learned from my extreme athlete of a sister!
1. Poor Prep, Poor Performance:
Months & months worth of effort boil down to just a few minutes on stage. 16 weeks out from a competition (16 weeks), my sister begins a period of pre-competition preparation called "Prep". Her normally well regimented diet & exercise routine become exceedingly rigorous. Diet is strategic. Workout isolates individual muscles. Every meal & every workout are incredibly significant. If she has a poor prep, then she will most certainly have a poor performance.
Take Away: If I fail to prep, I fail to perform. I cannot be a godly wife, mother, & woman if I do not establish disciplined & intentional time with The Lord. Time in the Word, time spent in prayer, & time spent in godly fellowship are my "prep". I need each of them in order for my heart, my attitude, my mouth, & my actions to perform properly. The days when I'm a crab apple...the days when my temper flares...the days when I tune out...the days when my patience is thin...the days when I snap...all harken back to a failure to prepare (or when my prep is rote & obligatory rather than heartfelt). Poor prep = Poor Performance. My sister will not abide by a poor performance. She isn't going to give herself an inch when it comes to her prep because she knows that it's vital to her success. I need to be like her. I need to prep myself to be the godly woman that God has called me to be, no matter what. (2 Timothy 2:5)
2. Prep Ain't Always Pretty, but it is Always Productive:
The extreme diet & the rigid exercise take a toll on an athlete. Digestive issues, fatigue, & mental stress often go hand & hand with intense prep. Reduce your fiber, turn down birthday cake, bench press 150lbs, & you'll see what I mean! Prep ain't always pretty. Done well & done right, however, it is always productive. With every show, my sister better learns how to prepare & how to handle that period. With every show she is more muscular, more cut, & more defined than the one before.
Take Away: I can almost guarantee you that the second I put my earbuds in to listen to a sermon...the moment I flip open the pages of my Bible...the instant I answer a friend's phone call, my Gaggle will erupt into a frenzy of chaos. Cries of "Mommy", wails of battle, frantic "uh ohs" will burst forth. Cups will spill. Sisters will pull hair. Anarchy will overthrow relative peace. As I said before, motherhood is intense...and it's insane. Not long ago this untimely upheaval would cause me to morph into the Hulk. My face would turn green, my neck muscles would bulge, & I'd unleash a fury upon my bewildered Gaggle. "Can't you see that mommy is trying to pray!", I'd bellow. "Here I am trying to learn to be like Jesus, & you're acting like heathens!"...I'm pretty sure I said something along those lines. The fury would eradicate any sense of holiness within me, & I'd defeatedly throw my hands in the air. Prep Ain't Always Pretty...in fact it seldom is. I have visions of sitting down with a steaming mug of coffee in the predawn morning & having the scriptures leap from the page & right into my heart...Reality check. Lately I have been striving to curb my Hulk tendencies. I'm getting better at getting the kiddos situated with breakfast & a cartoon before I sit down to read. I'm learning to deal with the crisis & then get back to business. Prep ain't always pretty, but it is always Productive. Regardless of how hard her prep is, my sister diligently sticks to it & gets it done. That diligence is productive. I need to be like her. I need to be diligent to prep, whether it's pretty or not, because regardless, heartfelt prep will be productive. (Hebrews 12:11)
3. The Prep is Part of the Prize:
Remember when I said that my sister has 16 weeks of Prep before a show...16 weeks for less than 16 minutes on stage. That's bogus! Or so I thought. I'm guilty of saying that there's no way I'd work that hard for something so short lived. I didn't get it. I didn't understand that the moment on stage wasn't the only prize. Prep is part of the Prize. For the duration of prep, my sister sees what she is capable of. She's lifts more weight than she thought she could. She develops more definition than she previously had. She sees beyond her physical strength to her mental & emotional strength as well. She puts her determination, discipline, & willpower to the test & slays weakness. That brief moment on stage is epic...but all the moments building up to it are priceless.
Take Away: Life is hectic. The life of a mom is bonkers. I don't need to list all the hats that we wear or all the responsibilities we have...you're all too aware of the demands upon you. Merely getting an opportunity to sit down with our Bible, to have an adult conversation, to pray without dozing off is a feat...add to that the fore mentioned anarchy & it's miraculous if prep happens at all. Despite the odds, it's worth it to ensure that does happen...not just for the prize of spiritual maturation or for the sake of being a good mommy rather than a mutant one, but for the prep itself. The opportunity we have to enter into relationship with the Creator of Heaven & Earth is priceless. The privilege of addressing the King of Kings & Lord of Lords is epic. The humility of being a wretched sinner loved by a perfect Father is amazing. Daily I have an opportunity to live life as a chosen one of God...that, friends, is a prize all it's own. My sister keeps sight of the fact that the prep is part of the prize. The growth, the challenge, & the continuous effort are part of the reward. She knows what she is capable of. I need to be more like her. I need to see my time with the Lord as a prize in and of itself. He has chosen me. He has saved me. He has redeemed me. Every second spent worshipping Him, learning about Him, & in communion with Him is a gift...the Prep is Part of the Prize.
4. The Prize is Worth the Prep:
Last Fall I watched my baby sister dominate her show. She won in her class, & she won overall. What does one get for all that effort? Samurai Swords. No joke. She got two of them! I skeptically asked her if it had all been worth it, & she adamantly insisted that it was. The moment she walked on stage every moment of pain, every squelched craving, & every bite of nasty rice cake had been worth it. Every rough & ugly prep moment had culminated to success...The Prize, the swords & the satisfaction, were worth the Prep.
Take Away: What's the prize that I'm striving for? I have 3. #1 I have nothing to do with. God has gifted me with an eternal life spent with Him. The good news is this prize has already been received through belief & repentance. #2. To hear this from my husband, "Many women do Noble things, but you surpass them all." (Proverbs 31:29) #3. "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth." (3 John 1:4) Even in the midst of this season of life...even on the days when my children have sucked the life out of me...even on the days when my home is a wreck...even on the days when I've been more irate than loving...even on the days when I barely survive...I know that one day I will look back on the chaos of it all with rose colored lenses. I will miss the disarray. I will mourn the quiet. I will yearn for little voices crying my name. I know that seeing my children come to faith will be worth all of the time outs & talks. I know that watching them walk with The Lord will be worth the time on my knees & my pitiful attempts to lead. I know that the golden years with my husband will be worth the tears & the stress of our youth. The time & effort that I put into becoming the woman, wife, & mother that God has called me too will be worth the pain, sweat, & tears...the Prize is worth the Prep. My sister does not walk out on stage knowing for sure that she will win...but she believes she will. She preps as if she's already won. I need to be like her. I cannot know with certainty that I will ever achieve the prize I'm striving for, but I believe that I will. I'll prepare as if I will. The prize, should I receive it, is worth all the effort I can give. (1 Corinthians 9:25)
**Lest this begin to sound like a message in works, I want to make clear that in and of myself I am incapable of anything good...it is only by his Grace & only by the power of His Holy Spirit that I amount to anything. Scripture says that my righteous acts are like 'filthy rags'. Anything that I am capable of comes from Christ who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:13)**
Friends, the struggle is real. Being a mother...a parent...a wife...is beyond tough. Social media skews perception & enables us to "post" life at its best. That false reality creates a sense of failure and inadequacy. Even our best efforts often come up short. I hope that this has been an encouragement...not to be Mom-of-the-Year via Pinterest projects & amazing snacks...but to be a devout disciple of the one who saved you. May we put the effort into the "Prep" & be hopeful of the "Prize"...
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