This morning I got out of bed at 6:20am. That is a big deal for me because I am not a
morning person, I’m not even an afternoon person. However this morning I got up and went
running with a friend. On top of not
being a morning person I’m not a runner. Anyone who has seen me lately can tell
that I haven’t been running in a while…a long while. But I got up this morning and went running,
it was horrible; I couldn’t breathe, I felt like I was going to lose the coffee
I shouldn’t have had before running and it was altogether miserable. At
least it was for a while. After I had
laid on my couch and recovered, had breakfast and coffee along with a good “Jesus”
conversation, followed by a shower, I felt like a million bucks! It was hard but I had accomplished just a
small little victory. I intend to get up
again tomorrow and suffer a little more.
Starting to run when you haven’t in a long time is hard
work; you have to press through the pain and the desire to give in and give
up. You have to be committed to work
through side pains, lack of breath, shin splints, etc. It takes time to get in a grove where
running is enjoyable (they tell me it gets that way at some point) and what
once seemed like an unattainable task is simple. You have to pay the price to overcome
obstacles.
It is not surprising that Paul compares the Christian life
to running a race…
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses,
let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles,
and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)
Walking with Christ is not always easy, make no mistake it
is the best, the most joyful, really the only true way, but it is not always easy. Sin and guilt creep in and weigh us down,
some people step in and try and trip us up (sometimes succeeding). We fail, we hurt, we cry… but we go on! The race is already won and like my friend
Matt was with me all the way this morning, Jesus is with us all the way. He
will direct us, encourage us, chastise us, but never leave us; He loves us!
Start running, keep running, and run well!
