With No Pain, You'll Get No Gain

Well, it’s January 8 and I’ve had eight days to work on my New Year’s resolutions.
So far, it’s going good.
I must admit, I’m out of shape way more than I remember.
I’m sure it’s due to being forced out of my position as co-captain of the Cold Cuts Intramural team, upon graduation in May.
Not that I was in the best shape while I played intramurals, but I sure don’t remember getting this winded after a short run.
I also don’t remember crunches hurting this much either although I don’t remember doing them since six grade gym class.
I’ve been very tempted to accept my fate as having love-handles slightly larger than the average man.
But then where would the progress be? And where would my pride and ego go if I gave up after only a week?
Change hurts. My abs can affirm that.
But yet I don’t think I can think of a single instance in my life where change didn’t hurt.
Maybe it wasn’t physical pain; it might have been financial or mental stress, but either way there was some sort of pain.
I think we’re seeing that in Belton and Bell County right now.
There’s a wind of change coming. People are beginning to realize what many of you have known your entire life.
Belton’s great.
And that’s why we continue to see more and more people packing up and moving to Belton in droves.
I think that’s great. I’m glad it’s not the other way around. I’m glad people aren’t packing up and leaving Belton in droves.
In the next 24 months, we’ll see some major changes in Belton -- and it will hurt.
There will be road construction on I-35 (hopefully). There will be new roads constructed and Les and his crew will continue working to maintain and update streets throughout the city.
New stores and shopping centers will be built.
Something will be done with our current jail/ courts situation (and I’m still hoping for that Christmas wish).
The citizens of Bell County will hopefully see the need and benefit of building the new facilities on Loop 121, rather than forcing the county to lease jail space elsewhere or clogging up downtown Belton anymore.
BISD is looking to expand the High School and update several campuses.
The students, teachers and staff won’t enjoy working around the construction I’m sure.
I know those students, teachers and staff won’t enjoy working around the construction work and we won’t enjoy paying an extra $5 or $10 a month on our taxes, but in the end we’ll all appreciate the hard work we all did together.
I also believe that in the end, if the voters approve the new bond issue, the county as a whole will be very pleased with the new county facilities moving to Loop 121.
I think we’ll all be pleased that we can find parking in downtown Belton again and I know the judges, clerks, attorneys and others will greatly appreciate the added security and room to grow.
Now we could sit back and reject the change. We could say “No, I’ve had it. We’ve changed too much and I want Belton to stay as it is. The change just hurts my pocketbook too much.”
But what we had always said that?
I don’t think Belton would be the place we’ve come to love.
I’d hate to think that Billy Smitha’s grandkids had to walk four or five miles to school -- like he did -- just because there was only one school for minorities.
I’d hate to think that we didn’t have the privilege of beating Temple every year in sports, because some people didn’t want to change the high school to from a 4-A to a 5-A classification.
Just like my abs hurt and my legs ache after I work out, these changes will hurt, but I can’t wait to see the results.
I’m also looking forward to achieving my other resolutions.
I’ve already noticed a difference in my thoughts and talk after a week of scheduled Bible reading.
Sure I don’t like getting up earlier. But making myself take those few steps from my bed to my Bible make a world of difference in my day.
A friend once told me, “Those few steps from my bed to my desk each morning, are the most important steps I take every day.”
Yes, it’s cold in the morning and my new down comforter makes my bed even more desirable, but disciplining myself to take time reading God’s instruction manual is well worth the effort.
The Apostle Paul wrote to the Roman church: “We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”
In other words, don’t rejoice and be happy just because things are going good – rejoice also in suffering and in change and in hurt, because it produces character and hope.
So while the next 24 months may be frustrating – and you may continue to say to yourself, “I didn’t ask for these changes,” let’s work together, for the betterment of ourselves and the community – and give change and progress a chance.