Plank.

First thing in the morning, Plank and Pray go together for me in a big way. Before I work my body, God and I have a quick conversation about why I'm doing this. Who am I really working out for: Me, Him or some guy who's never actually going to see the abs I'm trying to sculpt? Who am I trying to impress? Why do I bother? While they seem a little deep for most people at 7 a.m., realigning myself with these kinds of questions can really ground me in who I am and what my day is really supposed to revolve around. It gives me a sense of purpose.

While we're on the topic of our bodies and our purpose, I want to take a quick rabbit trail.  A few months ago, several celebrity women began posting photos of their postpartum bodies and I loved it. One of them, I really wish I could recall who, went on record saying, My body was not made to look good in a two-piece swimsuit. This is what I was created for. AMEN SISTER!! Now, not all of us want kids and certainly not all of us will have kids. But we all know what the female anatomy is uniquely capable of doing that men cannot. We can carry tiny humans in our bodies for 3/4 of a year and still love them after labor. Now more than ever, women who are pregnant or have children are not just experiencing, but talking about this unique purpose they feel for themselves and their bodies. So let me tell you a secret, ladies: I plank so that someday, I can do that too. And do it well. Not just the labor part, but the living-to-see-them-grow-up part too. Again, not all of us are going to have kids, but we all DO have a purpose and one of mine just happens to be mommyhood. And planking isn't the only way I prepare for this: I read, observe, take notes (literally, ask my cousin Genae) and most importantly, I let God know how terrified/excited I am.

Alrighty, I shared mine. Now you share yours. What's your purpose? We talked about this a bit with Pray, and hopefully some of you were able to think, even just a little, about who you are in relation to God and, by extension, where your purpose comes from. Now that you may have a better idea of what it might be - what are you doing to prepare to do it well? How are you training? Not just physically, but mentally and emotionally?

While I've got ya'll on the floor next to me, elbows digging into the mat and bum muscles burning, I'd like to humbly suggest that there is power in being ON YOUR FACE. One of my favorite Lewis books, The Screwtape Letters tells the story of a demon trying to woo a Christian away from his faith. Some of the first advice this demon receives is to convince the Christian man that it makes no difference whether or not he prays on his knees. Like I said in Pray, there is no better way to realize who you are and what you are created to do than to get on your knees before your God. 

Since coming to Baylor University, I've been meditating on a very particular scripture from the Book of Joshua and it's been a major theme for most of my prayer time here. When Joshua meets the angel of the Lord, he doesn't know who the angel is and he asks, "Are you for us or for our enemies?" I love the angel's answer: "Neither." Isn't that annoying? Joshua asks a multiple choice question and the answer he gets is 'no'. I totally get this, though. When my roommate has a rough day, I ask her, 'Would you like some chocolate or a glass of wine?' and she says 'Yes'. It's her way of saying 'Schu, you asked the wrong question, but I'll still give you the right answer'. I believe God does the same thing here with His faithful servant Joshua; He gives Joshua the answer he needs even when he doesn't ask the 'right question'. I'm not for you or against you, I AM. Listen to me. But then the angel reveals his identity and what do you know, Joshua ends up face down in the dirt. Talk about a proper reaction! As soon as he knew the character of the person standing before him, he knew the right response.

Sometimes I think the reason our worship seems lacking or we're not sure where we stand with our Father is because we don't know who He is. We might think we do, but every now and then, it's very healthy to get your face in the dirt and ask the same question Joshua asked, What message does my LORD have for his SERVANT. And it's in those moments, my friends, when the Lord tells you how to bring down Jericho.

I went to the Baylor Law School graduation last week and the commencement speaker summed up his speech with 'Fish or cut bait'. I loved that. When I plank, I'm cuttin' bait, ladies. Both physically, emotionally and spiritually. And when I'm done, that shower feels REAL good and the day ahead of me looks a lot easier to conquer.