Where would you think the heart of
our fair city is found? Is it the Square
with the monuments and the majestic old courthouse? Is it the business district with charming old
buildings and inviting shops? Or would
you say the heart of our city is found in our spiritual homes, our
churches? Considering the fact that I am
a preacher and this is my blog, you know my answer. And if the churches are the heart of our
city, where is the heartbeat?
Five
of our downtown churches are clustered together between 3rd and 5th
Avenues. Nestled between these churches you
will find one of the greatest blessings in our town, the J. Smith Young
YMCA. If our churches are the heart, the
YMCA is the heartbeat—both symbolically and in many cases, quite literally.
I
love the YMCA. When I first moved to
town I felt like God was trying to tell me something by placing the YMCA right
next door to my church. Even today when
I pull into our parking lot and see that great old gymnasium, I feel a tinge of
guilt if I haven’t taken time to work out at the Y in a while. Well, it’s more than a tinge—it’s a slap in
the face. “There it is! All you have to do is get off your (insert
King James word for donkey) and walk across the street and do something about
it!” I get the message!
Our
Y is unique in many ways. We have a huge
gymnasium that used to host college basketball tournaments, Saturday night
“wrastling,” and Elvis! There is the
vintage bowling alley, the food services, a beautiful
event center that serves as a community gathering place, and what’s not to love
about our world class natatorium named in memory of a true hometown hero, Josh
Harris. We also have first-class
fitness equipment and a dedicated and trained staff eager to help us keep our
heartbeats strong and sure.
But
the Y is so much more. When Gene Klump
became the CEO he said he wanted to emphasize the C in YMCA. First and foremost, the Y is a Christian
organization. There is a beautiful
chapel when you walk into the front door, a prayer request board downstairs, an
inspirational thought of the day, an annual prayer breakfast, and one of the
highlights of my week is the men’s Bible Study that meets every Thursday
morning at 7 a.m.
I see
the Y as an extension of our church’s ministry.
The Y provides many different programs for children and
youth—after-school programs, summer day camps, teen programs, and leadership
development. No one is denied access
because of financial hardship. Scholarships
are available thanks to the generosity of local citizens and the United Way of
Davidson County.
The Y
enables us as individuals to keep ourselves physically fit. Physical fitness is a spiritual
discipline. Our body is a gift from God
and we have a sacred responsibility to keep our body healthy so that we can
serve God with all of our heart, mind, and strength!
Our
community is a much healthier one because of the Y, and not just in the
physical sense. The Y provides the
heartbeat, bringing diverse people together in community, touching the lives of
children and young people, giving senior citizens the resources to stay active,
and encouraging all of us to be the best God has called us to be, as we build
healthy spirits, minds, and bodies. And
through our support and involvement in the Y, we help maintain this remarkable
facility for everyone in our community to enjoy.
God
bless the YMCA—the heartbeat of our community!
