I grew up being a very skinny kid. Nowadays they have these things called “skinny jeans” but all of my jeans were skinny jeans and they cost far less than these ugly things that guys wear today. I mean I was wearing Levi’s and rockin’ the corduroys back in the day and those corduroys came in various colors too! C’mon now! My awesome physique came about because I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism at an early age. This condition tends to speed up your metabolism when you’re young and slows it down when you get older. Because this condition deals with your hormones I had dry skin, bad acne, and really greasy hair and to top it all off I wore glasses! I was the white Steve Urkel and because my last name is Zirkle I was an easy target for the bullies. They loved me more than Richard Simmons loves short shorts and baby oil.

Thankfully, at the age of 13, I was befriended by a man in church who decided it was time to upgrade my bird chest to something a little more manly. For three nights a week he would pick me up and take me to the local workout center in our local park. He told me to eat two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches a few nights a week and wash it down with a full glass of whole milk. After a period of time on this routine and with my new medication I began to notice a difference in myself and so did the bullies.

Let’s fast forward a few decades to today. I’m 42 and a bit overweight. Ironically, I’m trying to lose the weight that I wanted so desperately to put on as a boy. Such is the cycle of life. So, I decided that after many failed attempts and promises of getting in shape that I was tired of crying wolf. I began a 30 day challenge for the month of June. I not only began making healthier nutritional choices but I also began to workout. I have been incorporating, push-ups, air squats, walking/running, and some dumbbell exercises to my daily routine. The idea is not to bulk up but rather to tone up and lose some weight.

Last week I began carrying my 15lb dumbbells to the local middle school track. The parking lot is probably located just about one quarter of a mile away from the track which is located behind the school. Carrying those dumbbells to the track wasn’t too hard but after working out one day I noticed that these dumbbells seemed to feel a little heavier. My arms began to burn, my shoulders got tired, and I just got tired of carrying them. I could not wait until I got to the car so I could drop the dumbbells.

I’m a fairly strong guy but when you carry any amount of weight long enough it just starts to hurt. I don’t always look for a lesson each day of my life but sometimes they do come to me out of the blue. I began to think of some of the weight that I have been carrying. I felt God speak to me and say, “you are carrying around a weight that you don’t have to carry and just like these dumbbells in your hands it is causing you pain, a pain that you do not have to bear. Drop the dumbbells!”

Boy, I sure did feel like a dumbbell. I’ve known Jesus since the age of 13. That’s almost 30 years! You would think that by now I would get some of life’s simplest lessons, right?

Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (NIV)

Matthew 11:28-30, “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” (The Message)

Jesus carried it ALL to the cross. ALL of our sins, our fears, our doubts, our worries, our anxieties, our fears, our dreams, our goals, He carried it ALL. DROP THE DUMBBELLS!