A Test Of Spirit

So this weekend at martial arts class we had to do an exercise. Sah bom nim called it a test of your spirit. I stood in front of a classmate and threw punches at him. He was only allowed to block. He could not move or punch back, only block. Sounds easy right, WRONG? As I was throwing punches two classmates, one to my right, one to my left, were to keep me from success. They could hold my arms, push me back, get in my way, and even punch me if they wanted. On hearing my assignment, my heart cringed. I didn't want to do this. It was going to be too hard. It was going to hurt. Then I heard another voice from somewhere deep inside of me. You can do this. Just stay focused on your target. Don't let anything stop you. This particular voice hasn't been around for too long. It's a new voice. But I really like it.
I started to think about something yesterday. Why do I like this class so much? I always hear people comment on the amount of strength I have. "You're such a strong person." "You're so brave." How is it possible for people to see something in you that you don't even see in yourself? I have never seen myself as strong. I have always seen myself as fearful and cowardly. But taking this class has drawn my attention to some of the strength I possess. I am not as cowardly as I believe myself to be. I am not as fearful as I feel. IT is just further proof that feeling is not reality. What I like about this class is this: It reminds me that I am strong enough, with God, to accomplish anything He assigns me to do. I can do all things, through Christ, who gives me strength.