Step by Step

If you are following my posts much (which of course, I pray you are), I hope you haven’t grown weary of my ramblings related to running. As I shared on my About Me page, although I acknowledge that God is always speaking to me, it is during my runs that I tend to be most tuned in to Him. It is during this time that I am able to put this world and its cares aside and ponder Him, His voice, His Word. I am thankful for this time with Him!

So today I reflect on rejoicing in the moment; directing my attention on the day at hand because this is the day the Lord has made (Ps 118:24). One thing I have been learning about myself is that I am rarely in the ‘here and now,’ but rather in the ‘there and then.’ In other words, I am so consumed with my destination that I neglect the very place God has me in at this moment.

A quarter of the way into my run today, I realized I was losing energy all too soon. The reason? Simply put, I was so engrossed in finishing that I was not paying attention to my speed and started out too fast (story of my life). However, as I slowed my stride, attempting to focus on each step, I began feeling less winded, as though I would finish the full course, and I did.

God’s Word tells me to press toward the goal by reaching for that prize (Phil 3:14) and running hard for Him (Heb 12:1). However, if I don’t count the cost, I may stop short and be unable to finish (Lk 14:28-30). How embarrassing is that? Who starts a race they are not convinced they can finish? Certainly not me.

I desire to take these small lessons and apply them to my daily walk as a wife, mother, friend, and daughter. I desperately long to relish each moment I have. I yearn to appreciate the ‘little’ things in life, to focus on each step, to slow down my pace, and to see God’s hand at work. These are the things that nourish and strengthen me to finish strong tomorrow. These are the things that allow me to fight the good fight, finish the race, keep the faith, and grab hold of my crown (2 Tim 4:7-8).

For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it- lest after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘this man began to build and was not able to finish’?

~ Luke 14:28-30

Going Nowhere

Before I knew it, it was after two in the afternoon and I hadn’t gotten my run in for the day. Korrie’s basketball game was only a couple hours away so I knew I needed to get to it. I also knew my chances of not having to run in the rain were slim, since it had been pouring nonstop most of the day. I made the decision and stepped onto the dreaded treadmill. Ugh. And dreadful it was! I tried reading my Kindle while running, tried tuning into the video Joe had playing (too sci-fi for me), even tried distracting myself with Korrie’s iPod. Nothing worked! The crisp, cool outside air kept beckoning me. The smoldering heat of the woodstove made breathing nearly impossible. Over and over I found myself pressed up against the bar at the front of the treadmill, my body desperately trying to GO somewhere. Did I mention it was dreadful?

After about fifteen minutes, the rain ceased, and I couldn’t resist taking that chance. I flung myself off the treadmill, threw my jacket on, and escaped out the front door, quickly hollering at the kids, “be back in a few!” The outdoors never felt quite so refreshing! What a relief! There is nothing else like the sound of feet on concrete, the icy winter wind on one’s face, and the feeling of actually GOING SOMEWHERE! After all, running is NOT meant to keep you in one place.

The apostle Paul refers to the life of a child of God as a race (2 Tim 4:7). We are designed to go somewhere. We are made to do something. We have a calling. We have a purpose, and that purpose is not to stay in one place. I’m not necessarily referring to the need for every Christian to ‘GO’ to a foreign land as a missionary (unless you are called to do so, of course). I am referring to the simple act of obedience and growing in Christ. What has He called you to do? What is the desire of your heart? What do you long for? Are you doing it? Or are you staying comfortably in one place, suffocating in the stagnation of it all? Don’t you long to get out there and experience the freedom that comes from obedience? I know I do! I also know it’s not always easy. However, when we make that choice -when we put those shoes on and step out that door, pushing ourselves even though it’s so hard- this is when we feel accomplished.

Now, you might be arguing that the dreaded treadmill is not all bad; and you would be right. It actually offers me a GOOD workout. However, I want to strive for a BETTER workout. No, I want to strive for the BEST workout.  Just after I reached my house after my run that day, it started pouring again. I laughed out loud and thanked God for my fifteen minutes of clear weather. When God see’s our willing hearts, our desire to run hard for Him, He will hold back that rain and bless us beyond belief.

What desires has He placed in your heart? What do you so desperately yearn to obey Him in? Please share so I can pray for you.

Run For It!

Run For It!

I’ve recently contracted a bug: the running/workout bug. Isn’t it exciting to realize you are capable of doing something you never thought you could? How exhilarating to press on and push forward, then look back and see just how far you’ve come!  Now don’t get me wrong, I’m no marathon runner. It would actually be more accurate to call myself a jogger rather than a runner. However, my accomplishment of being able push myself for thirty minutes is hardly a small one in my eyes. Yes, there are those moments when I start looking at fitness giants tackling four hour marathons or even triathlons and my thirty minutes quickly morph into something hardly worth getting excited about. Aside from these occasional moments of comparison and discouragement, my running experience has been such a blessing.  And I am learning a few things about myself in the process.

1. I can only go as far as I push myself.  I will consistently lose momentum at the one mile mark if I don’t push myself to go further.  Once I push harder, forcing myself beyond that mile, then I begin building endurance, get stronger, and will go further the next time.

2. I am discovering parts of my body that do not like to cooperate. My somewhat smaller, weaker leg will burn and scream in protest, many times convincing my brain and the rest of my body that unless we stop now we shall surely die. Or my lungs will ache, unable to suck in adequate oxygen, alarming my brain of some imagined danger. However, these parts of my body are just that, a small part of a larger body, and they must not be allowed to decide that I will not reach my full potential.

3. Small goals lead to success! Large goals can result in death. I can tell myself to run to the next stop sign and then feel great accomplishment when I reach that stop sign, or even go a little further. However if my goal is not the next stop sign, but the next five stop signs, and I don’t make that goal, I am setting myself up for discouragement, failure, and a lack of desire to get out there tomorrow and set another goal.

As a follower of Christ I can take these small lessons in daily running and apply them to my daily walk: 1. I can choose to stay where I’m comfortable and never reach my full potential in the gifts God has given me, or I can take a risk, ask God to use me, and make myself more available to Him. This makes my faith and walk stronger each day. 2. I have an obligation to my Lord and His people as a part of the body of Christ. I can choose to actively fill that role using the gifts God has placed in me (such as writing something small and sharing it daily), or I can hold myself and the body as a whole back by complaining, grumbling, or not trusting what God is doing when the road is difficult and sometimes painful. 3. Rather than having unrealistic expectations, I can set small goals for myself and then walk in them.  Rather than decide to read the whole bible in a year, I can tell myself to read for 5 minutes every day for a week.  Now that is something I can do! I can likewise support others in their “small” successes, encouraging them to go just a little further each day in this walk with Jesus.  I pray that this blog is one way I can accomplish that!

Comments, opposing views, additional insight?  Please do share!  I am having a blast sharing with you and I truly hope you feel free to do the same!

At the time, discipline isn't much fun. It always feels like it's going against the grain. Later, of course, it pays off handsomely, for it's the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God. So don't sit around on your hands! No more dragging your feet! Clear the path for long-distance runners so no one will trip and fall, so no one will step in a hole and sprain an ankle. Help each other out. And run for it!

~Hebrews 12:11-13 (The Message)