Let's Talk About....SUICIDE

Quite a few years back, I met a lovely gal in her late 40's who She would sometimes complain that her body wasn't what she wanted it to be and would grow frustrated (what girl HASN'T had that complaint! lol) For her it wasn't that she was overweight, it was that she was so skinny and was frustrated with "bone skin and flab". Every once in a while we talked about doing some personal training but she never followed up on it. One day I ran into her and as we were talking I felt really prompted to encourage her to let me help her with some personal training--try it and see how she felt.

This time, she followed up on it. In the field of fitness (and bar tending for that matter! ha!) we always joke that we should get degrees in Counseling, as well as the body, because in many ways a trainer ends up being that sounding board, a caring, listening person to their clients. Which is pretty awesome because the reality is, being 'fit and healthy' isn't just about the physical body--it's the mind, spirit, etc. and impacts the emotions, on a big level as well. So it makes sense.  As we trained she made gains little by little.  And then her 50th birthday came.

She came to training a wk after her birthday and broke down into tears midway through the workout. We took a time out--talked and prayed together. (That isn't something that always happens in training lol but you never know!)   We talked about it doesn't matter how old we are--we all have a mission, we all have value, God still has work for us to do; big work. We talked about our bodies and how even when we are older, if we can mentally adjust and do the right stuff nutritionally, we would be amazed at what our bodies can do. I showed her pictures of some wonderful people I know who are in their 50's and up who are doing body building competitions and killing it, who are doing missions in other countries, who are serving in the everyday simple things--but ALL making a HUGE difference to someone and there's no price tag high enough for the value of touching even one person.

Next training session, she came back and I could see as soon as she walked in, a different gal than the one who I had trained the wk before. She killed her workouts, the mental adjustment blew my mind. It was incredible. 

Over the next several months she was blown away by what her body was doing, how her muscles were sculpting, how no one could believe she was in her 50's, how good she felt...how mentally and spiritually and emotionally she was able to make a difference.

It was maybe 8 months later, more or less, that I was going to have to stop training because I was going to be on the road so much.  She came for one last training session and before she left she said...

"Maria, I just want to share something with you. You know that day when I came and we talked and prayed?  I was really contemplating suicide. That and these workouts, God's grace through all of this, saved me....I thought I had hit the last of my life and it didn't have meaning anymore, that my body and spirit were just done, I had no idea there was so much more. It seems silly to say, but it's true being healthier, learning how to do that, how different I feel, seeing my body change in positive ways and the way it effected me mentally, emotionally, etc. It saved my life. So thank you."


I started crying. I had no idea. 

I share this----not to say "oh look what I did!" Cause I had no clue I was doing anything, I was just passionate about helping people to be their best self, about caring and loving and serving Jesus in the little...But honestly, God could've used anyone. For whatever reason, that time He used me. 

Those of you reading this--you have no idea how God is going to use you and is probably using you now to save peoples lives in ways you're clueless of at this time.  Those of you who are struggling to see value in your life--you have value, you are amazing, God's not done with you. It doesn't matter how broken you are. He will still use you to do incredible, awesome things!  There are people whose lives need to be touched, hearts and souls to be loved, growth to happen for so many as a result of your choices to become the best version of yourself and to help others.

So let's do this! Let's make a difference--whether that difference is being a mom and changing a million diapers, or a dad who is grinding away at the job to support his family, or a coach, or a teacher, or a janitor, or the garbage man, or the network marketer, or the student, or musician, or the guy slaving away on Wall Street. YOU have meaning. YOU have a life to live. YOU are a gift from God. Know it. Believe it. Be it.

Make it a beautiful day!

Xo, Maria