Preparedness and the pivot: Andrew Peterson and Dan's 400-pound bench
Asked what he ever wanted to do apart from being a male model ('as soon as they canceled BVDs, Dan ran out of work'), Dan tells his weightlifting story: in his forties he suddenly started adding five pounds a week until he was benching 400 pounds — the high-school dream — and felt nothing: 'I wanted more than anything to do that in high school. And now I was like, who cares? What does a 40 year old man need to do with benching 400?' (Vern from the I Hate Live from the Path podcast was incensed at the claim; a YMCA spotter now at Pathway can vouch; his wife said 'this is not attractive' — 'I can bench 400 babies. Lift the garbage out to the street.') Ben answers with Andrew Peterson: he set out to be a visual artist and now makes his living writing books and recording music — he wouldn't have prescribed that for himself, but he faithfully walked into what he enjoyed. The room splits on 'follow your dreams' vs 'God had other plans,' and Ben lands the posture: 'God's not against preparedness — he just wants you to be able to pivot if he asks.' Scripture is the preparedness; the Spirit is the pivot — 'God's not like, hey Noah, don't even go get the wood, I'll bring it to you.'
Clips from this
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Following dreams doesn't guarantee the dream
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Scripture is your preparedness for anything
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Benching 400 pounds didn't fulfill me
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The written word plus the Spirit equals readiness
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