Chapter 5

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.                                                      Proverbs 3:5-6

David 

My three year old daughter recently asked whether my job was counting and though it made me laugh, she's not entirely wrong. As a personal trainer and fitness instructor, I do spend a lot of time counting. Counting out reps and sets may have become routine, but counting all the ways in which God has led, guided and shaped me even in this area of my life, would be infinite. 

There are perhaps a few moments in life when we experience or discover something that will impact the course of our lives radically. The day I first set foot in a gym, as a young teenage boy, I had no idea that it would be one of those moments. 

The on base gym at Pomfret, may have been small, but to me, on that first day, it was a wonderland. I had absolutely no idea what to do, and though it must have been a comical sight, dove in head first, huffing and puffing my way through every single exercise and machine. Three hours later, I felt so strong and confident as I walked home with my two friends, certain that my muscles were visibly larger. My world came crashing down swiftly the next morning. All the bravado from the previous day now long forgotten as every muscle in my body screamed in sheer agony. I could not even lift my arms or walk without groaning. My mother was more than a little annoyed and out of dear motherly concern, tried very hard to deter me from ever going back.But for reasons beyond my understanding at the time, I could not stop thinking about it and a couple of weeks later, I did exactly that. This time however, I wisely tempered my enthusiasm and started the learning journey one step and  one rep at a time.  

I was passionately committed from that moment and determined to excel, in spite of the challenges. No pouring rain, broken tapped-up shoes or the previous months  outdated membership receipt I'd tried my best to alter subtly, could keep me away from the haven I had discovered.  

Through every trial and triumph of my life the gym has always been a constant fixture, serving as backdrop for so many significant experiences that moulded and shaped not  just my body, but my heart as well. 

After high school I had no idea what the next step should be. I knew an academic future was not on the cards for me and  opportunities for young men from my community were  extremely limited. Most joined the military or entered the security industry. Though these are admirable choices, I felt strongly lead in a different direction, much to my family's dismay at the time.  

I started out at a Nando's chicken outlet in Zeerust, initially as a dishwasher, working my way up to waiter, griller and eventually restaurant host. After transferring to a different  branch, in the larger city of Rustenburg, I was on a  management track and things seemed to be breezing along  smoothly. Even so, I could not shake the feeling that this was all transitory and something else was waiting. 

Training, as always was a big part of my life and the local gym was my second home. I had even ventured into some amateur competitive body building and relished the  challenge and commitment required to compete.  

One Saturday morning, during a particularly early training sessions, as unexpectedly as ever, God spoke to my heart and shined a light on the path he had laid out for me. I had just finished a 24hour prayer fast and my spirit instantly recognised the voice of Truth.  

"Go back home and work at the local gym, I have made straight the path and opened the doors"  

I had long ago learned the value of following God's voice in spite of myself, but as much as I loved the gym, I had never even considered turning it into a vocation. Going back home  also seemed like a tremendous step backwards by worldly standards and the owner of the restaurant, who had also become my friend, tried his very best to change my mind, when I handed in my resignation. As unclear as the details may have been at that point, there was clarity in the faith driven belief that God had never steered me wrong before, and that this was what I had been waiting on.  

The following week I was back home and found His words faithful and true. The owners of the gym were eager to give me an opportunity and the Father's faithful provision overwhelmed me. I saw the gym through newly opened eyes and soaked up opportunities to speak life and hope into so  many lives. This was what I had been called to, a mission field, filled with weights, bars and weary hearts. 

All these years later, I am keenly aware of all the times that God has positioned me in exactly the right place at the right time. Perhaps, none so momentous as that mundane Monday afternoon, when a feisty little dark haired lady walked into the gym asking for someone called David....