This past Saturday, I ran my first race. I've run for a couple of years now, but never really had much interest in racing. This was a nice easy 5K here in town and after some persuasion from a friend, there I was. I had three goals: Don't get lost. Don't lose my keys. Finish in under 36 minutes. (That's a little under a twelve minute mile pace. Not very fast.)

 

I met my goals. Maybe the reason I met them is they weren't especially audacious. I was number 82 out of 171. Runners and non-runners alike were very supportive and encouraging. 'You ran a race- that alone was a great thing,' they said. Truth be known, I should have been able to finish in under 33 minutes based on my times from this past summer. With training, effort and commitment, 27 minutes isn't impossible. But then again, maybe it is. 30-33 minutes sounds better to me. Doable, but not too taxing.

 

The thing is, that complacency invades the rest of my life, especially my spiritual life. I tend to settle for a life that qualifies as Christian, but doesn't require much effort or investment. I get satisfied with showing up and going through the motions.

 

In John 10:10, Jesus says "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." More abundantly. In the Greek, that's beyond abundant, superabundant even, or superior (in quality), exceedingly, beyond measure. Life to the fullest. 

 

The best part about it- I don't even have to break a sweat. The hard work has already been done. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm typically cautious when I run. I don't use headphones so I can hear everything around me. I make sure I'm visible. (My favorite black shirt is retired for the season because it's so dark in the mornings now.) I carry my cell phone, and I really watch the pavement for uneven spots.

 

Yesterday, I headed out, ready to conquer my 'southern' route. Early out the road dips down toward a creek between the grade school and a wooded park. (It's nice to get that hill out of the way.) I had run the downhill side and was just about to start up when I got hit on the top of my head! My first thought was that it was a bat – a fat, clumsy bat, maybe. I didn't see anything though. I hoped it wasn't somebody in the woods throwing rocks at me. Finally, I decided it was something from the trees, a piece of bark or something that seemed bigger than it was because it surprised me. Okay. Whew.

 

Then it happened again!

 

And this time I saw it. An owl. A good-sized owl had thumped me. (I say 'thumped,' because there were no talons involved. Thankfully!)

 

After a little investigation, we found out she's a barn owl, and a regular 'thump-er.' At least three other runners have encountered her. The Department of Natural Resources tells us that in a few weeks – maybe when her babies are bigger, or gone – she won't be as aggressive. Even so, this morning… I changed my route. Just to be safe.

 

 

1. Even if you think you're cautious and well-prepared, attacks can come from the most unexpected places and using the most unexpected means. I've seen plenty of deer, dogs and even one skunk on my morning runs, but it was the owl that got me. We can be prayed up, studied up, tight with God and that doesn't exempt us. Don't be surprised or dismayed. Which brings me to my next lesson…

 

2. Keep running. Granted, I checked more than once to make sure I was just sweating and not bleeding, and I was really jumpy for the rest of the run. but I kept going. I ended up making both my marks for distance. I didn't let the attack prevent me from reaching my goal.

 

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8 NLT

 

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. Hebrews 12:1 NLT

After a week of normal running and super aerobic VBS music, my knee seems to be ready to resume my plan to hit five miles (continuous) before the season is out. With football season right around the corner, my son has been getting up and running my last mile with me. For a time, my daughter ran with me, but she's decided she's more of an afternoon runner. Even so, it's fun to have a buddy, and it's fun to coach my kids along. 

 

On the flip side, every once in a while, I'll run with my husband, he of the "eight-and-a-half-minute-mile, eleven mile" runs.  Thankfully, he lets me set the pace and I feel accomplished just getting out with him. Even on my solo runs, he encourages me, and checks on my progress. He's good to diagnose my pains and recommend treatment. If we need more help, we consult with his running buddy, Jay. (Jay is so far out of my league, I'm not even going to discuss him.  )

 

In the same way that I'm coaching and being coached as a runner, as believers, we find ourselves in between newer and more mature Christians, with opportunities to learn and to teach. The New Testament is full of descriptions on how this works in the body of Christ. My favorite is 2 Corinthians 1:4.

 

[God] comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. (NLT)

 

All the lessons we learn in our trials, all the comfort we receive, God expects us to turn around and share that with someone else. See, He designed the coaching system.

 

 

So instead of hitting the pavement, I've been busy with the ice pack, ibuprofen and stretching, trying to heal quickly and prevent any further damage.

 

 

I have weak spots in my Christian life as well – attitudes and insecurities that make me vulnerable.

 

Sometimes I'm not poorly prepared. I rush into things on my own strength.

 

Subtle attitudes shifts often lead to a wrong step. 

 

Then I realize I don't feel like running anymore. 

 

 

When that happens, I need a extra study time, more prayer and active, intentional worship to get me running again.

 

 

As you run your race for Christ, are you aware of your weak spots? Do you know what might sideline you? How do you get back in the race?

 

 

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73:26 NAS

 

 

 

I have now run enough to get chafed. I'm not sure if that's a good milestone or a bad one, but it is a memorable one. The sting will transform that relaxing, post-run shower into a prying-yourself-from-the-ceiling moment. (Or worse, depending on where you happen to get chafed.)

 

It is almost solely a result of wearing the wrong type of clothing. Like cotton. I love cotton, but it quickly gets wet and having that wet clothing rubbing against you for a few miles is the easiest recipe for chafing.

 

Living around other folks we're bound to get chafed, too. With some people, it's their superpower, rubbing you the wrong way with everything they say or do. Just like with running, the key to preventing chafing is carefully choosing what you put on. In my quick search of the New Testament, I found these:

 

 

"For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ." Galatians 3:27

 

"…put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness." Ephesians 4:24

 

"Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering" Colossians 3:12

 

"But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection." Colossians 3:14

 

 

Christ, the new man, tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering and love. See if those don't cut down on chafing.

 

 

Last fall I did a series of posts on things I'd learned from running. The lessons keep coming so I thought I'd share them. 

 

The last time we were in Ohio, I actually packed my running gear and made plans to run. Jon always packs his, too and instead of doing his 13 mile torture circuit, he consented to run with me just for fun. I am not a great runner by any means. Jon runs much faster and much farther than I do, but he's twitterpated (still!) so off we went. My gear includes a watch with a countdown timer and a cheap pedometer. My husband, the more serious runner, was given one of those high-tech, chest-strap, GPS, heart-rate, instantaneous speed, NASA, Olympic watches. It's the type of thing he would never spend money on, but he kind of likes it. 

 

My goal for the day was to run 18 minutes then walk a bit, then run two 10 minutes cycles and hopefully that would be 3.5 miles or so. At the end of the 18 minutes, I pulled my pedometer off and it registered 1.9 miles. Not bad. Last year it was September before I could run 2 miles straight. This was May. And my pace was right around 9.5 minutes a mile. Then Jon announced "That's 1.6 miles." What? "Yeah, 1.6 miles." Hmmm… That's an 11.25 mile pace. I wasn't running nearly as fast or as far as I thought. My pedometer was off. Even though I much preferred my results, they were measured against a false standard. 

 

It's easy to measure our walk, our lives against the false standard of the world around us. Compared to "those" people, we're doing well. However, when we hold our lives up against the standards God reveals in His word, the results are quite different. When Isaiah was shown a vision of God's holiness, the ultimate standard, his reaction was "It's all over! I am doomed!" (NLT)