This is taken from a book entitled -"Mentoring Paradigms" which my cg dmm is currently using. The very first chapters talks about "Mentoring the Foundation of Life: Superstructure, Structures and Substructures." Not going to talk about the first 2. But what caught me was this word-Substructures.

"...the substructure, the unseen foundation, that our true strength lies."

Without a deep and secure substructure, the structures cannot hold. And the superstructures cannot rise to great heights without peril. That is why more time is always spent on the foundation than on the superstructure. The wise mentor does not neglect mentoring the substructure of life. Who we are, what we do when no one sees, form the substructure of our life.

A life of worship, lived before God in the fear of Him and held together by humility, wisdom and perseverance, constitutes a foundation that will withstand immense stress and strain. The continued maintenance and growth of this substructure, firmly anchored in God through the practice of the spiritual disciplines, is the work of a lifetime."

As Christians, its of utmost importance that we continually build a life that is based upon a strong foundation. Spiritual habits that we must groom all through our life. My way of developing and maintaing these spiritual habits is through sports. When i swim, its the time when I can have extended time to pray, for God to speak into my life and for me to speak to Him as well. Its the avenue for me to hear from Him. Even as I engage in sports like tennis, bowling, its a good avenue of how I can strike a common ground with my friends and look for them often without feeling awkward. Plus doing sports is healthy and it builds stamina. So for Christians out there, find your own way of developing the substructure in your life. :)