Blessing

Someone blessed my heart today and gave me encouragement that I never imagined.  I don't even know her name.  But I just want to thank God for that blessing.  I know that God brings people into our lives for many different reasons.  Today I was in the gym working out and for some reason this week has been harder than it has every been for me.  I don't know why.  You would think that it would be getting easier but it isn't.  I normally do 35 mins. on the treadmill rotating between a 7 and a 9 incline.  I got 30 mins. in and had to stop.  Now don't get me wrong.  There have been many days in the past that I have wanted to stop but didn't.  I just pushed through the pain and the sweat.  Today I couldn't though.  I felt as if I was gonna vomit and pass out all at the same time.  So I stopped and was walking back to the locker room.  Going into the locker room my friend who has also been "training" me in the gym was coming out.  She asked me what I was doing.  I told her I just couldn't do the 35 mins. today.  She told me that I could.  I told her I couldn't and started explaining to her why I couldn't.  She put the fan in my face and stood there and talked to me a few minutes until I could cool down.  After I cooled down, she told me she wanted me to go back out there and finish my work out.  She said just give me that last 5 mins.  You can do it on the bike.  So I hesitantly agreed.  After a couple mins. on the bike I told her that I wasn't just gonna do 5 mins. but I was gonna do 10 mins.  Of course she was rooting me on.  So I did my 10 mins.  Afterward, I headed back to the locker room to shower and get dressed so I could come back to work.  I am standing there about to go, but I was trying to dry my hair and get all the sweat out.  As I am standing there in front of the fan, this young African American girl comes out of one of the dressing stalls and asks me how much weight I have lost.  I told her 42 lbs. as of last Thursday.  She said "well I just wanted to tell you that you have been a true inspiration to me.  I have watched you come to the gym everyday that I am down here and I can see your weight melting off and it has truly inspired me to do better too."  We walked out together and continued talking and when we parted I just about started crying thinking to myself how good God is to send a stranger my way to encourage me.  Even though she said that I encouraged her, she encouraged me even more.  My friend who trains me said to me today (before I went back out to finish my workout) that if I talked myself out of my last few minutes today that it would only get easier and easier for me to talk myself out of it everyday.  Well after this stranger met me and said those kind words it reminded me of how far I had come and how I was not gonna stop now.  I believe that it was no coincidence that this took place the way it did today.  I could have very easily have finished my workout the first time and missed seeing this girl in the locker room.  I could have very easily refused my friend who was telling me to go finish my work out and miss this girl....but it was all in God's plan for us to run into each other today.  So I want to thank God for his blessing that he sent my way today (and everyday).  Each and every blessing I receive still amazes me at just how good He is.  I hope everyone who reads this post receives a blessing today!