Lessons from Boot Camp- Installment #2

I'm currently in my second round of boot camp. Most of the folks who were committed and made it all the way through round one have stuck with it and persevered for round two. Our instructor, Joe Thibodeau, created a new identity for the group...Thi Bod Fitness. New folks joined us for round two. As expected, some have already dropped out, but a few have kept at it and are seeing the benefits of discipline and camaraderie in fitness.
Fridays at 6am are an optional work-out time. Most weeks we are able to meet on the beach at Dune Allen and bust out a good workout before starting our last day of the work week. Depending on Joe's schedule, sometimes he is unable to make it. This morning was one of those mornings so he posted a work out on Facebook for those who wanted to set their alarms, head to the beach and stay on track.
Today only myself and one other friend showed up. Her name is Samantha 'aka', Sam. She is very fit and I was grateful she was there. Motivating each other, we made it through the whole work out, which was not an easy one, in record time. (We completed that which should have taken us an hour, in 45 minutes!) One of the cycles we were told to complete 5 times!...it was 20 split jump squats, 25 high knees (Sam's favorite) and 15 squat jumps w/pushup). Had I been alone, I probably would have quit at 3 cycles. But since we were together we did all five.
On my drive home, the Lord reminded me of a scripture.

Ecclesiates 4:9-10 Two are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other one can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.

It was interesting that he brought this to my mind because it made me realize something about all things that we struggle with in life...it's always going to be easier if you are willing to share it with someone else. When things are hard, especially if we are not proud of the struggle, we are tempted to keep it private. The problem with that is that if you fall down in your attempts to deal with it, there is no one to help you back up. The Enemy wants you to keep it private so that you will either feel isolated which leads to discouragement or harbor it as a secret sin. As Christians, it is imperative to have accountability. I was always told this person needs to be someone other than your spouse. We each need a close friend who we can safely share our struggles with who will hold us accountable to God's word, not judge us for our individual weakness, but encourage us to let God deal with us in those areas that need strengthening. It was interesting that this boot camp illustration came to me this morning because a friend and I were having a dialogue about some personal life struggles at the very same time. I realized it is no different than doing boot camp with Sam this morning...two are better than one.