Looking Up

It is interesting, and just a tad frustrating to me, that I know certain principles are good to practice. But, then I forget to do so, pay the price, and relearn and reapply the same lesson. One such principle is looking up when lifting a heavy weight. This is a principle that I "lifted" from lifting weights. Whenever bearing a lot of weight--for squats or like movement--I look up. Looking up arches the back to a more stable posture. If I don't, spasm city.

I was lugging a 40 lb of container of Belgian-to-be up the stairs the other week. I had no idea it weighed that much until I did the math. I wasn't planning having to carry up the stairs into the upstairs guest bedroom closet until I discovered the Quad needed to be fermented at a warmer temperature than the basement. Man, my back was shot for days. Old crotchety man I was.

On Saturday I had to pour off the trub in the brew along with the hops and other matter. I remembered to look up and no problems with transport. The back is fine.

When problems, both great and small come our way, part of the problem is how we look at the problem...or even primarily looking at the problem rather than looking up to God and asking Him for His perspective and wisdom in addressing the problem. When we look problems in the eye, they stare back. As Nietzsche noted, "If you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." I believe in the God who fills the Abyss. When we look up, God has our back.

Acts 7:55

But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

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