I ran my first 20 mile training run ever, a couple of weeks ago. It was brutal. Because I was tired from the week of getting up super early to get the other weekday runs in, I totally failed to get up Sunday morning. Alas I could not get up. I turned off my alarm after way too many snoozes, and thought, "I can run tonight. " Next thing I know, it is 10am, and I realize, "I have plans tonight. Stink, I'm gonna have to run in the middle of the day in the heat."
So with my wonderful husbands help and assurances that I could do it, I made it out the door. "Crap my ipod's not working." Okay, new plan, hubby, "will you charge it for an hour and I'll come back and get it?" "Sure, of course." Okay, I can do this. Three miles in, Garmin freezes up on me. "Really today. Today you're going to freeze up of all days. So glad this isn't marathon day." Okay get it together. It will be okay. You'll make it back home soon and you'll have your ipod and it will be great.
Not to be. Apparently this was my goggles in the face moment (See Michael Phelps Beijing 2008 Olympics.) Made it back home and my ipod wasn't working either. How in the world am I going to make this. God please help. I can't finish on my own.
There was lots of stopping to pour water over my head, there were bathroom breaks, there was walking and there were the tears. Needless to say, it was an ugly run. Probably the ugliest run I've had and it took forever. It probably took longer total time than it will take me to run the actual marathon.
Made it back home with 4 miles to go. Changed clothes cause I was sopping wet from sweat and water. Gave my husband a look like I'm going to die. He lovingly said, "You can do this, you can do it." Okay, just pretend that you haven't run 16 miles, and you're just going out for a 4 mile run.
And then, I made it. I finished it! Wow, I didn't quit. Thanks God for helping me. This was no pretty run. This run had lots of "bumps" in the road. Like my walk with the Lord, I expected this run to be perfect and it to not be hard. Hard meaning I'm about to give up and quit. Then it dawns on me, my walk with God isn't always about how "pretty" it looks, it's about overcoming. I overcame. I didn't quit this run and I'm definitely not quiting believing in my Lord and Savior, Jesus. It gave me so much faith to keep running my race with God because through the "bumps" in the road, I will overcome and see my Saviour face to face. I will overcome!
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Monday, October 18, 2010
Hypocrisy?
It's easy to think that people and Christians in particular are hypocritical. I mean I'm a Christian, and I think other Christians are hypocritical. It's unfortunate that I think that, but it is the truth. (So maybe I'm not as bad as the next guy/gal, hahaha.)
As I pondered this conundrum, the hypocritical thinking others are hypocritical, I realized, "What if I'm not? And, what if they aren't" What if I am in those first steps of taking over the promised land of the new heart that the LORD has given me?
In the old testament when the Israelites took over the promised land, The Lord said that He would not give them the land all at once. It would be too much for them and they would be overtaken by the wild beasts. So they took portions of it over at a time.
What if what I call hypocritical is really just this process in me and in others called maturing? I've been thinking a certain way all my life. God begins to breath upon this sinful thought process. Now I see it everywhere. It really bothers me. I don't like it in the next guy, and I definitely don't like it in me. But my thought patterns haven't changed yet, even with my new belief in the truth. So I fight with judgement upon others and myself thus sounding hypocritical to me and others. But wait, I'm not. I just don't agree anymore and my actions haven't lined up, yet. They will. I will mature into the new belief/truth because Jesus made the way. He will complete this good work in me.
Maybe we're not so hypocritical as we all think we are.
As I pondered this conundrum, the hypocritical thinking others are hypocritical, I realized, "What if I'm not? And, what if they aren't" What if I am in those first steps of taking over the promised land of the new heart that the LORD has given me?
In the old testament when the Israelites took over the promised land, The Lord said that He would not give them the land all at once. It would be too much for them and they would be overtaken by the wild beasts. So they took portions of it over at a time.
What if what I call hypocritical is really just this process in me and in others called maturing? I've been thinking a certain way all my life. God begins to breath upon this sinful thought process. Now I see it everywhere. It really bothers me. I don't like it in the next guy, and I definitely don't like it in me. But my thought patterns haven't changed yet, even with my new belief in the truth. So I fight with judgement upon others and myself thus sounding hypocritical to me and others. But wait, I'm not. I just don't agree anymore and my actions haven't lined up, yet. They will. I will mature into the new belief/truth because Jesus made the way. He will complete this good work in me.
Maybe we're not so hypocritical as we all think we are.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Season Changes
I love season changes, and the one from Summer to Fall is my favorite. To go from the blistering heat and insane humidity of the summer to cool fall days where the humidity is low is pure bliss. I'm thankful for this time of year every year.
I'm also thankful when the physical season change marks a spiritual season change. I can feel the freedom of the cool air beginning to blow on my soul. God is doing a new work in me, and it feels good. I love when I can feel this close to Him and know that He has my hand the entire time. I'm never alone; He is with me; this is one of those times I know it.
I'm also thankful when the physical season change marks a spiritual season change. I can feel the freedom of the cool air beginning to blow on my soul. God is doing a new work in me, and it feels good. I love when I can feel this close to Him and know that He has my hand the entire time. I'm never alone; He is with me; this is one of those times I know it.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Stretching: Physical and Spiritual
I'm training for my first marathon this fall. It has been a lifelong dream since I was a little girl. I was watching Jean Benoit win the first woman's marathon at the Olympics when this dream was born.
Along the way I have run into some bumps and bobbles. Recently, I was concerned about a month ago when I thought I might be stumbling onto another bump. My calf was really really hurting. I could feel this weird knot in the middle of my calf. Took some time off and it came back. Kept icing it, stretching it, wearing compression socks, self messaging it, and praying that it would get better.
Of course I did the typical google search to self diagnose what was wrong and how to treat. I came upon something interesting. A man with the same symptoms had asked a doctor on one of those expert pages if he should be stretching. My first thought in the less than the second it takes to scroll down the page to find his answer was of course. Always stretch. It is always the best. But to my surprise, his answer was just the opposite. The doctor said the calf was probably stretched to the limit to where it took him down. What? Overstretching took him down. The solution: don't stretch until you can run without pain, then light stretching.
Sure enough I bought it, cause you know, I found it on the Internet. It has to be right. So, I've left it mostly alone for a couple of weeks. Today I was checking out my calf muscle to see if the asymmetrical bump was still there. Gone!
So I started thinking. How often in my spiritual life am I stretching myself to love God more deeply through worship, prayer, reading the Word, confessing sin, and to have Christlike character, do I stretch too far and hurt myself? I get sad and depressed that I can't "run" as fast or as much with God as my heart wants to just like I do when I can't physically run. What if the solution is to not stretch for a couple of weeks until the "bump" is gone? I don't mean drop the disciplines. I mean let go of my expectations and allow myself to sit at the feet of the One who can heal. Allow Him time to massage my "calf." Allow Him time to take my pain, until I'm ready to stretch again. Then to my surprise the "bump" goes away. I can run and stretch again. I can have a great long run with Him, my best friend, again without the pain.
I'm not depressed or sad for months on end because I didn't stretch myself or expect to stretch when God wasn't trying to stretch me either. I become at peace with who I am in Christ through the process. Sticking to the perfect "marathon" schedule is no longer the goal. It's to finish the race well and enjoy it along the way, with the One I love.
Along the way I have run into some bumps and bobbles. Recently, I was concerned about a month ago when I thought I might be stumbling onto another bump. My calf was really really hurting. I could feel this weird knot in the middle of my calf. Took some time off and it came back. Kept icing it, stretching it, wearing compression socks, self messaging it, and praying that it would get better.
Of course I did the typical google search to self diagnose what was wrong and how to treat. I came upon something interesting. A man with the same symptoms had asked a doctor on one of those expert pages if he should be stretching. My first thought in the less than the second it takes to scroll down the page to find his answer was of course. Always stretch. It is always the best. But to my surprise, his answer was just the opposite. The doctor said the calf was probably stretched to the limit to where it took him down. What? Overstretching took him down. The solution: don't stretch until you can run without pain, then light stretching.
Sure enough I bought it, cause you know, I found it on the Internet. It has to be right. So, I've left it mostly alone for a couple of weeks. Today I was checking out my calf muscle to see if the asymmetrical bump was still there. Gone!
So I started thinking. How often in my spiritual life am I stretching myself to love God more deeply through worship, prayer, reading the Word, confessing sin, and to have Christlike character, do I stretch too far and hurt myself? I get sad and depressed that I can't "run" as fast or as much with God as my heart wants to just like I do when I can't physically run. What if the solution is to not stretch for a couple of weeks until the "bump" is gone? I don't mean drop the disciplines. I mean let go of my expectations and allow myself to sit at the feet of the One who can heal. Allow Him time to massage my "calf." Allow Him time to take my pain, until I'm ready to stretch again. Then to my surprise the "bump" goes away. I can run and stretch again. I can have a great long run with Him, my best friend, again without the pain.
I'm not depressed or sad for months on end because I didn't stretch myself or expect to stretch when God wasn't trying to stretch me either. I become at peace with who I am in Christ through the process. Sticking to the perfect "marathon" schedule is no longer the goal. It's to finish the race well and enjoy it along the way, with the One I love.
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