I have worn a fitness band for the past several years. Except for showers and baths, it is on my wrist twenty-four by seven, collecting data, analyzing, and formulating. It has no emotions. My reasoning and intent do not factor in its calculations. Raw data and algorithms lead to three outcomes. First, a presentation of where my body is in the moment. Second, a recommendation on how much strain I will ideally put on my body in the time which remains in the day. Third, my bedtime target for recovery.
Initially, I caught myself trying to game the outcomes. I want to think I feel good, even when the data and my body do not support the conclusion. I have come to realize how crazy fooling myself really is. Nobody else cares if my recovery is 40% or 95%. I do not have a coach checking in on me to see how much sleep I got last night! While the scales and my wife notice when I have skipped the gym, the rest of the world is quiet given they have not noticed and do not particularly care.
I love my morning feedback, even when brutal candor stings. My behavior continues to change because of detail. I get more sleep, drink more water, and act to reduce the negatives in my life. In good moments and those less so, I know the band will always tell me the truth.
In a lot of ways, the band is a living example of my experience with Divinity. There are days where everything is green! I wake recovered, energized and full of hope. I take on obstacles without fear or hesitation. There are also days where the struggle from the dark night of wrestling with my inner demons and Divinity’s magnificent embrace of compassion, and forgiveness, leaves me weak and seeking shelter. The beauty in both is unconditional love which defines Divinity’s relationship with you and me. It is hard to imagine what would have been “if God hadn’t been for us when everyone went against us.” (Psalm 124.2)
