CREEDE HINSHAW: Some worshipers’ strength is drawn from their faith

There are men and women at the local gym who inspire me. Some seem to have incredible balance, endurance, agility and strength. This scrawny columnist observes these people as they work out with awe and envy.

Others with less physical gifts inspire me, too. They are the ones who, with obvious infirmities, have chosen to exercise. Some come with walkers or canes or even a trainer/friend to escort them from machine to machine. Some people, very overweight, are doing their best to stay fit.

The most inspiring people are two men I see at the gym and in the locker room who have suffered strokes rendering one arm and leg practically useless. I have watched these men slowly, methodically, patiently, skillfully get suited up for exercise. The physical effort of tying a shoe with one hand … getting a T-shirt on and off … changing into and out of gym clothes … would be daunting for me. I can find many excuses for not going to the gym, and so I marvel at the determination of these men. If I face a debilitating physical infirmity, I will remember them and try to follow their example.

I see the same kind of people week after week in Sunday-morning worship. Many attendees, like me, have no problems getting to church. It is a part of their weekly devotional routine, and they walk into the sanctuary with expectation and faithfulness. It is always good to see them.

But those who display utter faithfulness – despite major physical hurdles – are the ones who continue to inspire me. The church I attend has a good parking lot, and the church building is fully accessible to those with physical handicaps. But it is an extremely long walk from the parking lot to the sanctuary. It is no small trek for those who are aging, even those without infirmity. Those who have walkers or canes or wheelchairs have a long, long trip ahead of them. I sometimes walk slowly along with them, not wanting to rush ahead.

I see people who face the same infirmities I see at the gym. A friend wears a strong back brace each week. He turned 92 this week; he and his wife are both recovering from falls. Yet they can be found in their customary pew week after week. Other people come accompanied by an oxygen tank. One man in his 90s had a record of more than three decades of never missing Sunday worship. Even a stay in the ICU couldn’t keep him away from church; he was hospitalized in midweek and made sure he was in church that Sunday. A woman who recently faced the death of her husband returned to church one week later. These people are shining monuments to me, though they probably don’t realize it.

David (Psalm 16:3), observed, “As for the holy ones in the land, they are the noble, in whom is all my delight.” These faithful souls, both in the gym and in the sanctuary, are my delight. They do much to sustain my spirit.