Wii Fit

My parents knew I wanted Wii Fit for my birthday, but since their current life circumstances mean they don't have the time or energy to stake out the big box retailers waiting for a shipment of this difficult-to-find product, they simply gave me the money in a birthday card and wished me luck in my search. Since my schedule this fall has been incredibly busy, I haven't had time during the past two months to search locally for the game, even though I was eager to get my hands (or, more accurately, my feet) on it. In hopes of snagging one online, I subscribed to Wii Fit Tracker, but each time I received an email advising me that one was available, by the time I clicked the link, the inventory was gone. 

Yesterday morning after I completed my walk at Radnor Lake, I had a sudden hunch that I ought to go to the Wal-Mart Supercenter near my house. (Question: Would the Holy Spirit actually prompt someone to go to Wal-Mart?) I made a beeline for the electronics department, and guess what I found locked in a glass case? Not one, but two Wii Fits were available. I guess if I had been feeling greedy, I would have immediately purchased both units and then put the second one up for sale on eBay, but I decided to let someone else experience the wave of happiness that washes over you when you finally find something you've been seeking.

Chaney and I played Wii Fit for quite awhile yesterday afternoon, and last night we introduced Paul to the game. The first time you play, Wii Fit asks you for your height and age, weighs you, and assesses your balance. After a few moments, Wii Fit informs you what your Body Mass Index is - and whether or not that is a healthy number. Then - with great fanfare - Wii Fit announces your Wii Fit age. As you take advantage of Wii Fit's four training modes - yoga, balance games, strength training, and aerobics - you should be able to lower your Wii Fit age over time. Suffice it to say that Chaney's Wii Fit age matched his actual age, while Paul's and mine did not.

As I thought about the concept of a Wii Fit age, I wondered what it would be like if someone manufactured a device that could assess a person's spiritual age. Theoretically, your desire would be to attain a higher number of spiritual fitness in order to demonstrate that you are maturing in your faith in Christ (as opposed to Wii Fit, where a lower number indicates physical fitness). Perhaps such a device would prompt a Christ-follower to consider what steps he or she needed to take in order to become more spiritually fit. Instead of focusing on exercising and eating healthfully, in order to succeed in this endeavor, a person would have to pursue a rigorous regimen of spiritual disciplines. 

I certainly want to lower my Wii Fit age in the days to come, but I need to be even more focused on my spiritual health. "For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come" (1 Timothy 4:8).