I Christened My Prayer Chair Friday

A few days ago I began a new daytime routine that combines gentle exercise and my prayer time. I do not really exercise, partly because of the arthritis in my left knee and other issues. That changed after a few incidents last year.

Back in May 2017, I inherited a stationery exercise bicycle. I had a fella here in the Park help me with adjusting it while it was still outside on the back driveway area. However, he noticed that I was very very clumsy and awkward just climbing onto it. It made him nervous. It made me nervous. It sat there a few months until September 2017 when he found a recumbent exercise bicycle and brought it to me. We got that one inside and adjusted. The other one went out into my October park-wise yard sale. And so the recumbent bike sat...and sat...and sat. About once a month I got on for 2 minutes. Two minutes a month!

On the prayer level, I was in the habit of getting on my knees at the foot of the bed every night to pray 5 decades of the Rosary. Then, in November, I had 2 surgeries, back to back, 2 days in a row. One was on my right back shoulder area and the other on my left breast. That’s two sets of stitches, within 48 hours, in two totally different upper areas. I did not want to chance messing up the good surgeons’ work so I stopped praying on my knees during the healing process. I tried praying those 5 decades while on the couch or lift chair, watching TV, during commercials. Needless to say, my focus was not the best.

Suddenly, on Friday, one of my recent specialists apparently called my insurance folks and they called me and offered to sign me up in a weight management program. I thanked them politely and declined. I know how to lose the weight. I just have not been motivated. It did not help that a few months on the cancer treatment pills lowered my energy level. During that day, I happened to be in the back bedroom and saw the recumbent bike. The light dawned!

I now have a “dedicated” “prayer chair.”

I did not want to post this in case it turned out to be a typical one-time effort. I have been careful to not mess up my knees by excessive work. When I sit on that, I pedal moderately and I pray my Rosary’s 5 decades, split into two sessions, because of the knees. It totals out to about 15 minutes a day, and I have no residual aches. The 2nd day, I did get a really angry charley horse up the inner side of one leg clear up to the very top of the thigh. No trouble since, though.

What I love - I am actually really getting some exercise, and my prayer time is in a room where, while I’m on the bike, I see the wall across from me with a crucifix to help me focus on the prayers and my little Blessed Mother image on the dresser top. My prayer focus has been very satisfying.

So where do I stand on this? I began the day of the phone call, for just 3 minutes. That was Friday - so far, I’ve done 3 minutes on Friday and 15 minutes a day (in two sessions) on Saturday, Sunday and today. I weighed myself last Saturday morning. I am curious as to any difference this coming Saturday.

Sweet Lord Jesus, thank you so much for that phone call on Friday that finally got me motivated on two different levels - my prayer time and my exercise. Thank you for helping me to combine them and be happy with our new routine. I really really love my prayer chair and my new routine. I trust in you.