By Brad Bloom, Publisher
NOTE: ‘Family’ may be a husband, wife and child(ren) for you. If not, family can be defined as your siblings or parents. For some family may be a mentor, care-provider, or friend(s). I encourage you to pray and seek God for loving the family God gives you.
Are you uber-busy or are you ready to climb to new heights with your family fitness?
Take a look at that cool term “uber”. It’s perhaps most ubiquitous with the company that helps you rideshare with the tap of a button. Moreover it’s used as a prefix to words to add the meaning of “over, beyond” and gives us terms like uber-wealthy (upper class elite), uber-stylish (fashion defined by attitude), uber-buff (a fitness obsessed human specimen), uber-religious (fanatical faith – perceived or real) and uber-busy — I’ll let you define what that means for you and how it keeps you from reaching your higher potential as a family.
SUPER-SUPERIOR?
Interestingly the English word has origins from the German term Übermensch meaning beyond-man and superhuman. Friedrich Nietzsche introduced the concept in 1869 to offer a worldview built on new values other than God (not a good thing). While most people today may not self-identify with the term uber as excessive they likely want to use it to at least feel they have transcended the older/slower characteristics and values of recent generations.
In today’s culture we no longer have to imagine what it would be like to be Superman. We have resources and motivation to make ourselves superior — all without putting one bit of faith or dependence in God.
Yet in the midst of our self-affirming greatness an unresolved need persists. It’s a need to live life without fabrications. For the uber-busy that often means finding a way to make family fit. In 2018 Nicole Lyn Pesce reported in the Moneyish section of Market Watch the 12 best quality-time hacks. She interviewed TV anchors, entrepreneurs and other busy parents who shared how they REALLY find time for their kids.
In that article one father, Jeremy Neuer, talks about what the author calls ‘spontaneous bonding’. He says, “Sometimes, the most meaningful times are the little, quiet moments that can’t be targeted, set aside, or manufactured. They just happen.”
It’s a brilliant concept that deserves to be more than just a ‘quality-time hack’. Pursue more than ‘little, quiet moments’ and you’ll create a whole different way of life for you and your family.
TIME – FITNESS – FAITH
To make family fit requires you to use your time differently. Quit trying to make time to fit your family into your busy life. Desire the real MORE. Go beyond balance to intentionally (with uber-focus) make your family a persistent priority. No task is more pressing. No person deserves more attention. No accomplishment will be more meaningful.
To make family fit you must find the fun in fitness. It is more than making exercise and recreation something you occasionally do. Health and wellness flourish when you have an active lifestyle. Movement invigorates. Nutrition is flavorful and satisfying. Family fitness is collaborative.
To make family fit make faith the context of your family. That means discovering and allowing faith to be the setting, the statement, the greatest scope in which your family can be fully understood and assessed. This is counter-intuitive to the who-you-know, what-you-do, what-you-have, where-you-live mentality. It’s simple and makes family life simply beautiful.
So, there’s another German word besides UBER with which you should become familiar. It is UNTER. Translated to English it means AMONG. It is the incredible picture God gives us of Himself in Christ. God is among us. It describes a closer and more intimate relationship.
Instead of being uber-buff we can pursue being unter-fit. Instead of being uber-religious we can communicate with unter-grace. We can say goodbye to being uber-busy and savor the gift of time with an unter-schedule.
When you make family fit you realize that God wants you strong so that you can be strong for others so that no one falls behind or drops out.
Train strong in Christ,
Brad Bloom, Publisher
