Jesus Was There...

Greetings,

Every two years my husband participates in a friendly but highly intense competition my boss, Tino Herran, started in 1996.  It's called the Body Fat Challenge, it lasts approximately 12 weeks, and all participants must have their body fat professionally calculated at the beginning and end in a BodPod (thank you, University of Miami Herbert Wellness Center), run one-mile, swim 150 meters, and race 10 miles on a bike to determine the winner.

I am the "Secretary" of the event, and I assure you our spreadsheet is professional and has a top-of-the-line, highly-guarded mathematical formula to precisely determine everyone's exact place in the competition.

My jobs include making sure everyone signs the official contract - yes, this is that serious - keeping records of everyone's measurements throughout the 12 weeks, sending emails to make sure everyone knows exactly when and where to show up,  showing up unannounced at someone's house with cupcakes to sabotage their fat loss progress, blowing the whistle at the start of the physical events...you get the picture...

Throughout the 12 weeks it is fun seeing the bodily transformations and watching the guys give it their middle-age all to make it to the finish line.  Our overall winner this year lost 52% of his body fat. My boss came in first in the bike ride by a smidge, making for a photo finish at the end.  A 51 year old swam the 150 meters in 2 minutes 18 seconds even beating a couple of 20 year olds.  And my own son, Hormone, slugged it out all in all three physical events because he was in danger of losing.

Did I mention that the losing contestants had to have their heads shaved and / or be drawn upon with Magnum Waterproof Black Sharpies?

My reward in all of this was that I got to shave one of the guys on the bottom, and he had beautiful, thick, luscious, raven-black hair. (That's my hand in the picture below holding the shaver.) So many special moments!

But I do have an overall favorite one. 

Right before the bike ride, we were all gathered in the parking lot of Black Point Marina.  I asked the gentlemen to hold hands so we could pray. Someone suggested to our official photographer, Lis, my daughter-in-law, to take a picture, which also appears below.  She captured a sacred moment.  Men and women unashamedly coming together before the Lord to ask for protection and blessings. Voices united in thanking God for beautiful weather that day.  I remember thinking that this public display of faith could get us killed in certain parts of the world.  Yet there we were.  And Jesus was there too.

Matthew 18:20 "For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them."

Jesus was right there.  So close, touching our lives and listening to our hearts. So much so that when the prayer ended and a resounding male-dominated "Amen!" rose to the heavens, He honored our requests and blessed us.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You that when we pray Jesus is with us.  We need Him to be close to us always. We welcome His presence in every area of our lives. In His name we pray, AMEN~