No Half Stepping

Yesterday I wrote about lessons learned from almost losing my glasses to the power of the ocean.  Today I'm writing about a casualty that the ocean did in fact inflict on me, which was to zap my beloved FitBit.  Apparently these exercise trackers are water resistant but not waterproof, and getting pummeled by the ocean multiple times is enough to knock them out for good.

I tried in vain to resurrect the device and then get a free replacement, but to no avail; apparently getting your tracker wet voids the warranty.  Harrumph.  So I turned my attention to figuring out what replacement tracker I should get.

But, even though it isn't a hugely big purchase, it is pricey enough that I am inclined to pause before rushing in.  And, as I contemplated more, it occurred to me that before I asked myself what tracker I should get, I ought to ask myself whether I get one at all.

At the Desiring God blog, a recent post talks about the perils of "life hacking" on one's spiritual health.  Obviously pursuing your physical health and emotional well-being is a good thing, but good things can get twisted into bad things, and wellness and the metrics around them are no exception.  Is my FitBit a way to wrest control of myself from God and make myself my own god?  Is it an opportunity to inappropriately boast of my accomplishments when I do well or to improperly flog myself when I do poorly?

Maybe you are thinking I am being too hard on myself, but I value my body and soul just as much as you do, and I believe these things matter for now and for eternity, so these are questions worth asking and answering before making a purchase.  In the end, I'm deciding to replace my tracker with another, cheaper version - mostly because it is a way to connect with others who are taking steps with me - but just as the ocean wrested away my glasses and helped me to see more clearly as a result, so has the ocean zapped my old tracker and left me with a reminder of how to be grounded with my new tracker.