I have become a runner. This is a big deal for me because I don't enjoy running. The reasons for becoming a runner will have to come in an entirely different blog. At first I only ran with one of my four daughters close by with a cell phone set to dial 911 immediately. As my stamina and distance grew I became a bit more confident going alone. I have no desire to become a serious racer or train for mega-athlons. I will never pull a Forest Gump and run from one ocean to another. I am beginning to finally enjoy myself though.
I had decided that a 5K distance was good for me and slowly worked toward that goal of 3.1 miles. I wasn't interested in speed as much as simply not dying! I had finally gotten to the day where I would run a 5K in my neighborhood and was nervously excited. As I laced up the shoes my 8 year old, Sarah asked if she could run with me. I just snickered and told her she would never be able to keep up with me. As I saw her countenance drop I quickly retreated and said, "Sarah you can run as far as you like with me and then just stop if you get too far behind." She beamed and we headed to the driveway for stretching.
I don't think she even lasted to our mailbox before she stopped and scampered back into the yard. I quickly moved on and began asking God for strength to pull this off. I made it half of the way and came back by the house with no sign of anyone. My legs began to ache as I ran those last streets. I began to think about quitting early and trying again the next day. Something kept moving those legs forward. The last half mile is in the cove by my house. As I drew close to the final leg I saw my sweet Sarah waiting for me by the road. As I turned into the cove she started running with me! Suddenly I felt this incredible burst of energy. I got a "second wind" as Sarah tried hard to keep up. As I sprinted towards the finish line she was right beside me. I did it!! I just ran a 5K. I squeezed Sarah's cheeks and said, "Thank you. What a great helper you were to me."
As I cooled down I began thinking about my Christian walk. I accepted Jesus as my Savior when I was nine. Never got into too much trouble even through college. Went to church and just tried to be a good person. By the time I got married my so called Christian walk didn't look much different from everyone else's worldly walk. God led my wife and I to a wonderful church where we began to grow in our faith and understanding of what God wanted for our lives. Through another series of events with our third daughter, God led us to our current church family where our faith deepened in new ways. Sometimes I feel like quitting in the middle of a run because I fail to see the point. Many times I have thought of quitting on God because I wasn't looking to Him for "the point". One Sunday morning at Cornerstone Church I got the point loud and clear. It was almost as if I could see my Helper in the distance beckoning me forward. Not only did I crawl over people to get to the altar, but the Holy Spirit began running with me!! He has never left my side after all these years. I got my "second Wind" and have been running with Him ever since.
I think it is far too common a habit these days that people who have been Christians all their lives begin questioning what it is all about. People just go through the motions and feel like quitting because they see no point. I would encourage you to press on and in and ask for your Helper to meet you for that final leg of your run. He will show up and He will run with you. Enjoy your run!!
No comments:
Post a Comment