When Cassie a bikini competitor realizes she was made for more than she could ever imagine…
Gymnos is the Greek origin of our modern-day word Gym. It means “naked.” GYMNOS articles in Faith & Fitness Magazine are designed to help you ask God to challenge your thinking. In the literal sense, when you’re naked in the locker room there is nothing to hide. That makes most people uncomfortable. Use this scenario to get naked spiritually—be honest, transparent, undisguised and willing to be totally open with yourself and others. In Made for More, Cassie, Gabe and all characters in this scenario are fictional. Any similarity to an actual person is coincidental.
Featured image at the top of this page is provided by Lauren Gaona. Used by permission.
“Number seventy-nine!”
Cassie gasped. Was that her number?
“Cass—-ieee— Davidson!” The MC announced over the roaring crowd.
Cassie had just taken first place overall in the Bikini division at a Pro Bodybuilding Competition.
A sea of cameras captured her victory as she posed for photos that would soon be on every social media platform. And she knew her body would be picked apart online by thousands of strangers. She now qualified to compete at Olympia, the crème de la crème of bodybuilding competitions. As she accepted her trophy, her mind was elsewhere. She still had work to do. Olympia was all she ever wanted.
And then, she heard a strong, clear voice that almost startled her:
Oh, but you were made for much, much more…
Cassie shook the voice out of her head as she juggled her trophy with a bouquet of roses. What could possibly be more than Olympia?
A SMALL SEED OF DESIRE FOR MUCH MORE.
“I want to lose weight. How much more cardio should I be doing?”
A young girl, maybe sixteen, worked out on the stairclimber next to Cassie.
The girl’s face was childlike, with large eyes and full cheeks. Cassie desired to inspire young girls to be healthy, see their unique beauty and not fall into the trap of being overly critical of their bodies like she was.
“You don’t need to lose weight. Just exercise to stay healthy and have fun.”
The girl’s eyes lit up. “Is that what you do?”
Cassie couldn’t give an answer. She hadn’t had fun exercising in years.
OLYMPIA HAD FINALLY ARRIVED.
Dance music blared as each of the contestants strutted down the stage. Cassie hit her poses with her best presentation yet. This is what she had desired for years.
As she waited for the results, Cassie looked out into the dark crowd. Her mom could no longer travel, and her friends had various excuses for not coming to support her.
“This year’s title of Olympia gold medal bikini champion goes to….Cass-iiiieee Davidson!”
Cassie walked to the center stage and accepted her long awaited gold medal, tiara and trophy. She posed for photographs as she had countless times before. But she wasn’t as thrilled as she thought she’d be. She summitted the mountaintop of bodybuilding. Now what? And she heard that same phrase with a striking voice:
You’re made for much more.
“He healed my heart…”
“More than you could ever imagine…”
OLYMPIA WAS OVER. NOW WHAT?
After the Olympia competition was officially done, most of the competitors went out to celebrate with their friends and families. But Cassie sat alone on the hotel bed and flipped through the TV stations. Surrounding her on the bed was an array of candy wrappers, boxes of cookies and bags of chips. She could finally eat whatever she wanted. But she felt a deep void. What was her purpose now?
Cassie abruptly stopped switching channels as the familiar phrase she’d heard for months in her head was said on the television. “Made for More.” An athletically built man in a wheelchair was being interviewed by a local news reporter.
“Britney Collins here with channel eleven and I’m here with former professional quarterback, Gabe Donovan, the founder of this youth league, Made for More. So how did all of this get started?”
She offered the microphone to the beloved quarterback.
“Made for More reminds the kids to not let their limitations hinder their purpose in life. God created us and He knows our desires. I never made it to the Superbowl, but God knew my deep desire to be an inspiration to the youth through football. He may not have healed my body, but He healed my heart through helping this whole other community I never noticed before.”
High school age boys confined to wheelchairs for various reasons wheeled themselves to different positions on the field. Strips of blue and yellow flags hung from each side of the wheelchairs.
Gabe continued. “If there’s anyone out there who wants to know their purpose, just remember God made you for more than you could ever imagine.”
THE MORE SHE ALWAYS WANTED.
Cassie wandered around the aerobics studio of the gym as she watched a dozen teenage girls perform squats and pushups.
After a couple more rounds, Cassie turned down the music. “Alright, get some water. Grab a mat and sit down…it’s reflection time…”
Some of the girls began to murmur amongst each other.
“Quiet down, listen. I want each of you to look at yourself in the mirror. Look at how wonderfully you’re made.Unique to anyone else in this world. Your hair, your eyes, your face. Your laugh, your personality. No one like you.”
A couple of the girls looked down and away from the mirror.
“Don’t look down. Turn to the girl closest to you and tell her, ‘You’re beautiful.’ Ready? Go!”
The girls all turned to each other said the phrase in various tones and volumes. Some giggled, a couple hugged each other after.
After class, one of the moms of the young girls flagged Cassie down in the gym parking lot.
“Cassie! Hey.”
Cassie stopped and turned around. “Hi, can I help you?”
The mom was fighting back tears. “Oh, you’re an answer to prayer. You have no idea how much you’ve helped Maddie. She used to cry in her room after a couple of kids called her fat. But since taking your class at the gym these last couple months…she’s thriving. I just had to thank you.”
Cassie smiled with tears welling up in her own eyes. The void she once felt in her heart not that long ago was now bursting at the seams with joy. This was exactly what she was made for and what she wanted.
QUESTIONS FOR PERSONAL REFLECTION AND GROUP DISCUSSION
- When was the last time you deeply desired something? What was it?
- Did you receive what you hoped for? Or were you disappointed?
- How did that outcome affect those around you?
- What are you deeply desiring presently? How can that desire that God placed within you be made for more impact?
