At The Gym

I was at the gym the other day, and one of the guys I recently spotted (for those of you who don't know gym terms; 'spot' means to encourage someone while exercising and help them if they get stuck) waved to me from across the gym. I love meeting people in the gym, but I also struggle with it as well.
The gym is one of the most secular, self-focused, sex driven, and dangerous places that I know of. I have been working out in a gym for over twenty years now. In the past, I exercised mainly to look good. Now, I'm just trying to stay in shape. I used to not mind all of the half naked ladies walking around, and all of the vulgar language from the guys when they saw one. Heck, I even used to participate in those conversations. These days, it really gets under my skin. I guess that shows my age.
Back to my topic of meeting people. Patrick is the guy who waved at me from across the gym. He seemed anxious to come over to talk to me, so I engaged in a conversation with him. The first thing that he said is "Man, I still can't believe you are 40". Which is the last thing he said the other day when I spotted him. I actually get that a lot from people at the gym. I asked him a little about himself and he told me a little bit. Patrick is 28. He spent most of his life partying. He works at a CiCi's Pizza place that his older brother owns. He wants to stop partying and start taking his life seriously. He also said that he just wants to be successful at something. I shared a little about myself as well, and then we parted ways.
As I was leaving the gym that day, I heard the words "Measure success not by what you do, but how you do it". I wanted to find Patrick and give him those words. I felt that I was supposed to. I also wanted to tell him that he should find the one thing that he really enjoys, and pursue it. That one is from my own experience. I looked for him, but he had already left. I really wish that I could have found him. Now that I'm carrying that around in my head, I know that I will either forget, or procrastinate when I do see him.
I don't want to scare the guy off either. I'm trying really hard to meet people outside of the comfort zone of my Christian friends. How did Jesus do it? How did He reach so many people without saying something over religious and scaring them off? I know a lot of people at my gym. A lot of them seem pretty banged up by this world. It's funny . . . the gym is probably the only place that I don't get on my soap box and start preaching. It's hard not to judge a lot of those guys, but for the most part, I like them for who they are. I do want to share my story with them, but I don't; unless they ask.
I often think of the saying "We are the salt and the light in this world". Maybe the gym is where I feel comfortable with who I am and there is something about me that is drawing people to me. Maybe I am a light in that place. If I am, I don't want to screw that up. That is a huge and awesome blessing.
I am constantly lifting those brothers up in prayer. They are on the front lines of spiritual battles, and half of them don't even know it. My hope and prayer, is that I don't say or do something stupid. I pray that the ones who do not know God, find Him soon. I hope that they get out of the earthly things that bind and shackle them.
I hope that I get a chance to meet someone new each week. For I too, have something to learn from them.