On a recent visit to my middle daughter (note to self, and parents with three or more children: do NOT use term, “middle child”), I was convinced to join her, and a group of ridiculously fit others, at the local CrossFit Gym.

Being strong and graceful — in our bodies, minds, and spirit — does not come about through sitting. Grace, original oil painting by Steve Henderson; licensed print at Framed Canvas Art.

CrossFit– a strength and conditioning program that is remarkably suited to individual tailoring — is a bit controversial, simply because its members are serious about their workouts. They lift extremely heavy weights. They do an insane number of push ups. Unsatisfied with the average pull-up, of which many people, like me, cannot do even one, they create variations, many of which leave you, mouth agape, with the thought, “Are you kidding?”

They push themselves and their bodies beyond what their minds think they can do, and therein lies the controversy:

“It’s too hard.”

“This demands too much.”

“The average person can’t do this.”

We use these same sentences, throughout life, when we encounter problems that seem beyond what we can handle. But we serve a God who is stronger than we are, and not only that, He is the ultimate CrossFit coach — one who knows just how much we can handle, and that generally, it’s more than we think we can. Please follow the link to The CrossFit Christian at my Commonsense Christianity blog at BeliefNet.