Posts about the things I've learned while running
False Standards
No Winter Break
Surprising Results
The primary reason I started running was to lose weight. Women who reach … a certain age … often take their fat cells (many times joined with a few more) with them to the grave. Unless something drastic changes it. Additionally, I had gestational diabetes with my son, bumping me into a higher risk group for developing Type II diabetes. Keeping my weight inline keeps me from jumping yet another notch higher on that risk scale.
To date, since July 2009, I have lost exactly ZERO pounds. None. Sigh.
But I was shocked when I had some bloodwork done. In that same timeframe, my cholesterol dropped 21 points. I wasn't even working on that.
What does this have to do with running your race? Often God works with us in areas we don't expect, don't realize, and He brings about results that glorify Him we never imagined.
- We pray for a family member for years, but nothing happens. Except our kids see what persevering faith is.
- We teach a roomful of kids in Sunday school or VBS, and see no growth. Except 20 years later, a young adult comes back to church, and changes the course of his family's life.
- We go sit in worship services week after week and feel like we don't contribute. Except the preacher knows he can count on you to be there.
So, don't measure your progress on some limited, temporary number. God measures results on an eternal, multidimensional scale. He says even a cup of water given in His name won't go unnoticed.
Keep running. Great things are happening.
(P.S. – To the folks who get the posts by email – I apologize for that big obnoxious logo in the Tuesday post/Wednesday email. Hopefully it's fixed now.)
Taking Breaks
Today I slept in. It rained, but I planned to take today off. I don't run every day. Some days, I don't even run the whole distance – I'll take a break every mile or mile and half and walk for a bit. It sounds counterintuitive, but the breaks actually help my strength and endurance more than running all out all the time.
I take a day off after a long run, after several days of average runs in a row, or for the weekend. But I've also taken days off when I'm extra tired and could use the extra hour of sleep. (I try not to take advantage of that one.) I don't skip a day after a bad outing, though.
I need occasional breaks in my Christian race as well. Now I'm not suggesting taking a break FROM your faith and living like a heathen in order to strengthen your commitment. But we do need breaks from ministry from time to time. Jesus modeled this for us in the gospels. When do we need breaks?
Routine scheduled breaks – Luke 5:16 tells us that Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness to pray, and recharge. In a careful reading of the rest of Luke's gospel, you'll catch Jesus taking these timeouts frequently. Plan to go to Bible study rather than teach once in a while, or visit a different church. You might even attend a retreat or conference. The key is planning for it and not waiting for it to develop. Look at your 2011 calendar- when can you take a break?
After success – When the Twelve returned from a preaching and healing tour of Galilee, flush with success, Jesus immediately took them aside to a desert place to decompress. We tend to think you need to immediately build on success to perpetuate it. The break helps us remember the One who engineered the success, and our dependence on Him.
But not after failure – After Peter's denial, he'd given up on his ministry. He was sure he'd blown his opportunity and headed back to the fishing business. In John 20:15-22, Jesus reaffirms his call and encourages Peter to get back to work. When we experience a setback, our reflex is to quit. We question the path we're on, and God who put us there. That easily leads to completely abandoning our mission.
Before burnout – Just as your body can't function properly without adequate rest, we can't minister if our own well is dry. It's not selfish to take a day or a season off to recharge.
Don't stop, but rest.
Do you have a method for balancing ministry and personal renewal?
Stay in the Light
At 5 a.m., it's dark. Even after the change back to standard time. So from September to May, my running routes are limited to well-lit streets. (Well-lit, but without heavy traffic- tricky) This helps keep me safe and protects me from a fall or a turned ankle on uneven pavement.
Running (or walking) in the light is key to my Christian life as well. In 1 John 1:7, the apostle cites walking in the light as the mark of a genuine Christian. What does it mean, then to "walk in the light"? Back in verse 5, John says God is light. So walking in the light means to walk "in God", – in His holiness, in obedience, in truth.
Walking in that light of God keeps me safe from the effects of sin, and protects me from hurts that might slow me down or put me out of the race for a time.
It's a dark world out there. Stay in the light.
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