October 14, 1912, Teddy Roosevelt was 54 years old and running for a third term as an independent under the Bull Moose party. He was making his way through the crowd and was approaching the stage when in a moment a man stood directly in front of him and shot the President in the chest at point blank range. Roosevelt stumbled to the ground, surrounded by his detail of men, they took hold of him and said, “Mr. President, you’ve just been shot, we must get you to the hospital” and he responded, “I will make my speech or die.” Making his way to the platform, he announced to the vast audience, “I’ve just been shot, but it takes more than that to kill a bull moose.” He proceeded to give his speech, the longer he spoke, the louder his voice became, ninety minutes later he told his men they could take him to the hospital!
The doctors said we have never seen a man of such physical strength. The bullet had hit his fourth rib and bounced off of it lodging itself in his massive chest muscle. As a young boy, Teddy Roosevelt was weak and sickly. His father told him, “You have the mind, but you do not have the body. And without the body, the mind cannot go as far as it should. You must make your body strong. It is hard work to make one’s body, but I know you will do it.”
He did, Teddy Roosevelt became a boxer, wrestler, weightlifter and gymnast. He put a gym off of his bedroom where he beat his body into submission. We need to become strong, strong in body, mind, and heart. God gave us our bodies. It’s up to us to make them healthy. Since we are holistic by nature, physical strength is linked to the mental and emotional well-being. So how can we be strong?
1). Free yourself daily of all energy-draining emotions. Wrong emotions not only rob us of strength but have an adverse effect upon our bodies. Look at the consequences of fear, worry, anger, resentment, unforgiveness. Emotions like these consume our strength, health, and energy. Think of positive emotions, faith, hope, love, joy, enthusiasm. These create strength, energy, and health.
2). Live in the present. We wear ourselves out living in two areas that we can’t do anything about, yesterday and tomorrow. Remember worry never empties tomorrow of its problems only today of its strength.
3). Act strong, act as if you had energy, our will has almost no power over our emotions. But it does over our actions and actions change emotions. So act strong, and we will become strong.
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Pastor Rob, your stories have always been a great inspiration in my life. I still listen to your sermons on cassette tapes that were recorded at your church in Albuquerque.
Thank you!
Respectfully,
Martha L. Gilliam