Suffer For Good

“Come on Charles. You can do it. Just 30 more seconds. Push yourself, push yourself. Don’t give up. Come on; give me five more seconds. you’re strong and you can do it.” Once or twice a week these days, I “torture” myself, and I hear statements like these, from someone who will not let me give up.

Boxing. Who would have thought I would ever be in a boxing class? Certainly not me. I am certainly not what you would call athletic, and even before my health issues, I was not known for my athletic ability - definitely not on the radar of the NBA or NFL scouts. But here I am, learning to box, as I fight to hold this disease at bay.

Rock Steady Boxing they call it; a program designed to help those of us with Parkinson’s, get the mental and physical exercise we need to fight what our body is doing to us. At least once a week, and now sometimes twice, I find myself in class with Seb or another boxing coach. A boxer and trainer, Seb now spends much of his time helping people like me as we fight Parkinson’s.  

He and Colleen, and many other coaches plan, organize, and help us strengthen our bodies, encouraging us to never give up. They push us beyond the point that we think we can go, and help us to do one more set, push for five more seconds, and help us realize that we can do more than we think we can.

Tonight as I was in class, I read Seb’s shirt, and it had one simple phrase on it, “Suffer for good.” In this simple slogan there was a powerful message that reminded me that my suffering is only wasted if I allow it to be. Let’s be honest, my body could be traded in under the lemon law, and since the age of 15 I have had to suffer many physical challenges. 

Facing this has not always been easy, and many times it was hard to see any good, but reading that message tonight reminded me that I’m ultimately the one who chooses how I will fight, and whether this battle will be wasted or not. I decide if my suffering will be for good and used for something greater. I decide how my suffering will be used.

This weekend, one of my other coaches, Colleen was teaching a weekend seminar, and I and others had the opportunity to share our story, and as we talked, this truth was again driven home. She has continued to encourage, and advocate, and help so many of us in this very difficult fight, helping us to never give up, to see the good in the future that is still before us as we share our stories and build a new community.

Sweating through the hour-long class tonight, I was also reminded that sometimes the best thing in life for me is not the thing I enjoy the most. I will be honest, I have never been an exercise junkie, in fact, I usually avoid it at all cost, but it is what I need the most to fight this disease, and I find, as hard as it is, I am encouraged each week in class, fighting alongside others. 

So, as I’m suffering through class and stretching and pushing my body further than I thought I could, the suffering I’m doing is actually producing so much good. It is strengthening my body and helping me continue to fight. Without the suffering, my body will not get stronger, and this disease will more quickly overtake me. Because of this, each day I fight, and each day, in a sense, I suffer so that my body can be better and stronger.

Scripture reminds me that hardships, and the trying of my faith, produces good things. It causes me to grow and change and makes me more like Him. Even though it is hard, it produces good in me. That is exactly what this program does for me and my physical body, and through it I’m reminded that the suffering I deal with because of this disease can still be bringing about good if I allow it.

Thankfully, I do not battle alone. Not only do I have family and other people walking this path encouraging me, I also have people like Seb and Colleen and so many other coaches who selflessly give of their time and effort to push us and remind us that we still can fight and this disease is not the end. They walk with us and encourage us to give just five more seconds, to push through one more drill, and not give up even when we feel like we must. Without them I do not know where I would be, and I’m thankful that they help us suffer for good and fight even when we don’t feel like we can any longer.

That is probably the greatest gift they or anyone can give somebody like me. By simply encouraging us to keep fighting, they remind us that the end of our story is not written, and we still have a lot of fight left in us. Thank you Colleen and Seb and Rock Steady Boxing and so many other people who push us and encourage us and stand with us as we fight.

If you have a chance check out Rock Steady Boxing, and see what this program is all about. It is such a blessing to those of us in this battle. Also check out this movie “Suffer For Good”. I promise, you will be inspired and encouraged as you see the story of one of the angels who stands with us and reminds us to suffer now for our good.

Thank you Colleen, Seb, and all the other coaches and trainers who have not given up on us and help us fight for one more day. We cannot do this without you, thank you for walking with us as we “suffer for good”.

Click this link to find out more about Rock Steady Boxing.

See "Suffer for Good" here.

You can follow our story and sign up for our email list at our website.