Its been almost three-months since I unpacked my long-awaited Christmas-barrels that included treasures like coffee, Gatorade powder, sweeties, cleaning supplies, and tools.
Being able to indulge in things like Gatorade, and proper American coffee (the sell Folgers and Maxwell house here) has been incredibly enjoyable…but they have also made me incredibly fat.
The truth is Vincentians have been telling me my belly was getting big, but I thought they were joking till some pictures were taken at a recent baptismal service
They weren’t joking
If a big belly was the only problem I wouldn’t be too worried, but my Christmas barrel indulgence affected ministry in other ways.
- Hills that used to be easy now make my legs sore and weak
- After an hour of giving out Bible stories to children I’m completely out of energy (used to do it for two or three)
- The heat has a much greater affect on my body than in the past
- And I’m finding myself being lethargic (tired) more often
My big belly and lack of energy is an important reminder that you cannot do ministry effectively if your out of shape.
This doesn’t mean I cannot drink a glass of Gatorade at the end of the day. But it does mean that Gatorade becomes an occasional treat instead of a nightly ritual.
Because the village of Barrouaillie has many steep hills
and the people on those hills need to know about Jesus
Johnhwilburn.org 