Parts UnKnown: The Locker Room

 Sunday afternoon, I was in the locker room at the gym angry. I thought it was going to be sunny out, I really wanted the sun, I really needed the sun. The gloomy days have been poisoning my spirit and I had been looking forward to a blue sky all week. 

Pouting in the corner I stuffed my bag in a locker and overheard a conversation. I have no idea what they were talking about but the one lady comments "...parts unknown" 

"Hmm, I like that, a lot..." I thought as I quickly grabbed my phone and put it in my notes. 

It reminds me of Anthony Bourdain's Tv show I used to watch. Maybe that's what they were talking about, but that's not where it took me. 

Parts UnKnown.

Winter gone wild. 

I'm getting closed in. My shoes are snow soaked, my nose is constantly running like a toddler, my wardrobe is overused, and my skin is so pale I see more age spots than I care for. 

My head space is collecting head trash and I am living on a prayer!

My truck looks like a rolling turd from living on the back roads, my running clothes are collecting funky smells that no amount of fabric softener can remove, and I am buying myself flowers at Kroger's every week to get me closer to spring bloom's. 

Parts UnKnown. 

All these physical irritations. 

I ran around that track in shorts making the best of my bad attitude. First world problems ANITA! 

I stepped onto the track with a smile, with gratitude and an attitude adjustment until.... 

I felt my body sludge forward, tired, sore and sluggish. My shin still aching as I planted my foot down. If I ignore it, it will not be there. My hip flexors begin to pull, and another pain rears its head. 

A couple miles in I feel my right leg get heavy and begin to tingle. 

I hear Andys mom in my head with her favorite saying..." Its all good"!

Parts UnKnown.

Don't linger to long. 

The Lord arrests my heart. I am reminded that nothing is promised. I am not entitled to sunny skies and flowering petals. I am not promised a pain free body on this side of heaven. 

The difference between being in a rut and the grave is its dimensions. It is where you choose to linger. 

I don't know what I don't know. 

But what I do know is when I am in an emotional relapse ignoring the unknown is not so unknown. 

Parts UnKnown.

The Lord in the Locker room.

Back to the locker room. "Anita, Anita right? You had ......." I finished her awkward sentence as she stumbled for words. "Breast cancer..." I smiled with compassion. She shared my victory with love and excitement. 

Her name is Tracy. Truth is I met her during cancer and the unfortunate thing is I had so many parts unknown, her name escaped me, her story was as blank as a sheet of paper, and I felt like an idiot. The chemo took so many memories from me. I humbly asked her name right before her eyes welled up. 

"How are you, Tracy?" 

Her cheeks warmed up, her eyes watered, her hands began to shake, "I am having a really hard day...I lost my son 2 Christmases ago, I am having a really hard day..." 

You see I saw her on the track. I couldn't remember how I knew her. She saw me on the track and diverted her eyes. But I came back around to her and said "HI, Good job" as I passed her. and the next time I passed her I gave her a thumbs up. And when she went to the bike, we connected eyes and I smiled again at her. 

I had NO IDEA of her bad day. I had no idea of her parts unknown. 

"Can I hug you, Tracy?" I asked in the locker room. 

I wrapped my arms around her and told her how sorry I was. I stood in the back of the locker room listening to her "parts unknown", crying with her, loving her and knowing that what is "Unknown" to us is not "Unknown" to The Lord. The Holy Spirit directed me to her. 

As I showed up with a bad attitude the Lord orchestrated our hearts to connect. He softened my heart, and I was so unaware that a little smile and a word of encouragement would be something more to someone else. 

Parts Unknown.  

"Bear ye one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ." Gal 6:2

In Peace, Not Pieces, 

Anita~

Rest. 

Andy and I, our running date Saturday!