Go, and be thankful

"I really don't want to be here," a guy told me recently during one of my workouts. I thought about him today, on my sixth consecutive day away from the gym.

Unlike yesterday, I brought my gym bag to work with me today, hopeful that the leg I injured over the weekend had healed to the point where a trip to the gym would help more than it hindered. Instead, common sense prevailed - it's been doing that more as I age - and I decided to rest the leg another day, so I don't prolong my recovery.

Ironically, I injured my leg by falling on my way into church on Saturday night. That one stung, but not nearly as bad as the second fall. There is almost always a second - and sometimes even third - fall, as my already weak legs wobble a little more. Fear of the third fall has me walking like a clumsy solider through a minefield, and it's kept me out of the gym and church.

The gym and church are two places we often grudgingly go or, worse yet, make excuses not to go. I know - I've been there. Now, I want to go and can't. God loves irony.

Most of us are going to experience that irony at one time or another. We'll long to reconnect with someone we chased out of our life years ago. We'll wish to recapture moments that passed us as we distracted ourselves with trivial concerns. We'll ache for abilities and opportunities that age has taken from us.

Devon Walker knows this.

Former Tulane football player Devon Walker's life suddenly changed in the second game of the 2012 season. An undersized walk-on, he had worked his way into a starting position on the team, and was even a team captain. 2012 was his senior season, and he was eager to take his game to the next level. Unfortunately, he suffered a career-ending spinal cord injury in that game, and has been paralyzed from the neck down since.

Walker was recently awarded the Disney Spirit Award, given to college football's most inspirational figure. He was a very worthy recipient, because he hasn't let his circumstances get him down. After a year in grueling rehab, he resumed classes in pursuit of a degree in cell and molecular biology, with designs on attending medical school. Pursuing such a demanding academic program while competing on an athletic team - as a walk-on no less - is impressive enough. That he continues undeterred after such a devastating injury is simply amazing.

While some of his able-bodied classmates grudgingly drag themselves out of bed to attend class, wishing they were elsewhere, Devon struggles through his morning routine for different reasons. Because of his near total paralysis, it takes him more than two hours just to get out of bed and dressed. He needs help to do almost anything physical, even eating and brushing his teeth, yet he attends class. As much as possible, he attends all the practices and activities of the football team too.

I don't know Devon Walker, but I know that he is human, which means that he is sometimes prone to weakness, like all of us. It's safe to say that - before his injury - he probably approached some of the more difficult practices in Louisiana's heat with dread, and he was probably tempted to skip class. Now, ironically, with multiple excuses to do both, he doesn't.

My leg is healing, and I'll be back in the gym and in a pew soon. This brief time-out only strengthened my resolve. . Is there anything in your life that you complain about, but would truly miss if it were taken from you?

-- Mitch Arnold