Balance Takes Focus

When I first joined the gym several months ago, a trainer met with me to discuss what my fitness goals should be.  At my age, he said, the goals were not about becoming more muscular or even more toned, but simply to focus on improving my breathing, stamina and, most of all, my balance. You see, we old people are at a much higher risk of falling, so our balance is very important.

He took me on a tour of the gym and showed me how to use many of the strength training and cardio machines. Then he gave me a personalized fitness plan that would help me with my strength and balance, with a little cardio thrown in. It was a lot to take in, but I was an enthusiastic learner.

Determination Isn’t Enough

The next day I came in with my sneakers tied, my air pods in my ears (I didn’t know how to make a playlist yet), and my water bottle in hand. I headed straight to the large balance balls. They had several sizes, so I confidently picked a middle-sized one (only because I liked the color). The trainer had shown me how to balance on the ball on my stomach while raising and lowering hand weights. I moved carefully to the ball and lowered myself onto my abdomen. With my toes touching the floor behind me, I slowly raised my arms outward. In two seconds, I promptly flipped and rolled over on my back with the ball flying out and bouncing away from me. Yes, this really happened!

As you can imagine, I was pretty embarrassed, lying there on the floor, praying no one saw me. But two young, very fit, shapely young ladies quickly came over and asked, “Are you okay, Ma’am?” I laughed and said, “Oh, sure.” As gracefully as I could, I got to my feet, quickly went after the ball, and put it back in the stand. I then moved on to find another exercise much much farther away, something that would take their focus off the short old lady flailing on the floor!

Thankfully, I didn’t let that embarrassing first day, and the many other embarrassing moments after that, stop me from pushing through. It was tempting, but I did not quit. I am proud of how much stronger I have become. In fact, I am almost 60 pounds lighter, too. My balance has also improved greatly.

Find a Point to Focus On

One of the most important things I’ve learned about balance is not to focus on balancing! You see, when you focus on balancing, you are thinking about your body, the position you are standing in, where your arms and legs are, etc. But what you should do instead is take your mind off those things and find something else on which to focus. Those who do yoga or dance find a point far away to look at. They concentrate on that point. Their focus is not on their body, so it is easier for them to feel lighter and more balanced. I have tried this, and I agree that, with some practice, it really does work.

We Need a Spiritual Focus, Too

That is the way it is in our spiritual lives, too. We have a tough time keeping our lives in balance when we are focused on all the “stuff” we think is important. Honestly, we worry about so much that never happens, we worry about things that are out of our control, and we worry about problems before they are even problems.

We women are such worriers, aren’t we? God just shakes his head and says, “Oh my dear daughter, just give it to me! I can handle it better than you can anyway.”

That’s why we need to find that focus point and keep our eyes fixed on it.

Dancers Know the Importance of that Focus Point

It’s just like when a dancer pirouettes. When he or she performs, they “spot” to keep their balance and to keep their spins straight throughout each turn. This involves sharply looking at a specific spot in the room, then quickly bringing their head back to center as they continue rotating, effectively resetting their orientation with each turn. Each time they spin, they find that same spot to keep their spins the same. This takes a lot of practice, but it is what keeps their balance and stability. It also keeps their spins consistent and beautiful. Interestingly, they know that their eyes will be off that focus point for just a moment. That doesn’t make them waver, because they have confidence that the spot is true and will still be right there when they finish each spin.

One of the most famous classical ballet dancers from the 1970’s and 1980’s was Mikhail Baryshnikov (he’s 76 now and I imagine is still an amazing dancer). Here is a short video of him doing multiple pirouettes. Watch his eyes! You can see how he is spotting and turning his head sharply to get his eyes back to his focus point. When he does that, his shoulders are always in line, his body is straight, and his spins are all perfect! He is amazing to watch.  Here’s the link: https://youtu.be/SsOJ0G1psUA?si=edRofVUN688Vza_b

Who is Our Focus Point?

Likewise, we need to find a focus point for our lives that never changes. But what is that focus point? On what (or should I say, “who?”) should we focus to keep everything in perfect balance? Our heavenly Father is the only perfect focus point. We can trust that he is ever true and always dependable. The Bible tells us he is the always the same. Our life may feel like it is spinning and off-balance, but when we focus on him, it brings us right back to where we need to be.

You see, when we focus on our problems, our struggles, our day-to-day needs, things can easily get out of control. Then, when we feel like we have too much to bear, we wobble. I have wobbled a lot in my life. It’s not a good feeling. I also know that the harder I try to straighten my wobble, the wobblier I get!  Deep down I know I can’t do it on my own and neither can you. We forget the one who is really in charge. So why does it take so long to just give up and let him do his job?  He is the One on whom we should focus. We weren’t made to be in charge. We need to find our true “spot” and look to him once again.

Our Father is the Perfect, Never-Changing Focus Point

Isn’t it reassuring that we have someone stronger and more reliable to depend on than ourselves? Our Father never changes, never wavers, never moves. He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. We can rely on him. In James 1:17, we are assured, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”  

So, when all around you is chaos or pain, or you are afraid or doubting, or if you are lost and just don’t know where to turn, how about looking once again for that perfect focus point? Keep your eyes on him. He never changes, and he loves you. Like one of my favorite hymns: “Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in his wonderful face.  And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of his glory and grace.”

PRAYER:

Dear Father,

Sometimes our lives feel so off-balance. We don’t even know if we can take another step without falling on our faces. But we know you promise to hold us up, to protect us, to take care of us, to forgive all our foolish mistakes, and to love us unconditionally. For that we are so grateful. Please help us to keep our focus on you no matter what. You are the only true source of peace and balance in our lives.

In Jesus perfect name, AMEN.