I am not aware of many of the antics which take place in our home. Our children begin life believing that Mom really does have eyes in the back of her head, but then they grow up and realize…I do not.

A few weeks ago I was making lunch in the kitchen while the boys were doing their laundry. There was all sorts of background noise, but because I didn’t hear any crying, it remained to me as just that–background noise. Later in the day, Derek approached me, unable to hold back his hoots of laughter, showing me a video he took.

Here is what was the source of the background noise:

We’ve been learning about muscles in our Anatomy curriculum this week. Muscles are an interesting part of our bodies. The more we use them, the stronger they become. If we don’t use them at all, they shrink, or atrophy.

Just the mere discussion of muscles lit a fire in me to go out for a run. After we finished reading the lesson, I strapped on my running shoes, strapped Ruthie and Jeremy in the stroller, strapped on Molly’s leash, and watched Jake, Derek, and Peter strap on their bike helmets. It’s no small affair when we hit the pavement – we are a spectacle of an entourage. But I digress.

As I was running, I thought more about muscles.

Could the same truth about muscles apply to other things in life, like non-physical things? During our meeting Monday night at OneWay, we talked about prayer. Prayer is one discipline that grows stronger the more you do it, and can actually atrophy if you don’t pray at all. Then I thought about the discipline of eating healthy. The more you eat healthy, the easier it becomes. The healthy eating discipline becomes stronger, and more of a habit.

Another thing we learned is that muscles can only pull, not push. And they come in pairs. So consider the way you talk about other people. You either speak kindly and respectfully, or you gossip. One muscle pulls this way, the other pulls that way. And I suppose whichever muscle you use more often is the one that will grow bigger and stronger.

I don’t know if God had it in mind when He made muscles, but I sure do find it interesting that the way He made them to operate helps us understand bigger things in life.

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. (Psalm 139)