PAULA WISEMAN

Faith and life meet in a story

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Posts about the things I've learned while running

Results Vary

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Running on an empty highwayNot too long ago, I was hoping to stretch out my morning run. Nineteen minutes, a little over two miles, had been my longest, but I wanted the two mile mark to be comfortably attainable and not a personal best. So I boldly (ha!) set my timer for 22 minutes and headed out. I ran a new route, so I'd focus more on my surroundings and less on huffing and puffing. I blew through the 22 minutes and RESET my timer. I can remember checking my watch at one point, and thinking "Only 11 more minutes." Only! I finished the day after 45 minutes and nearly FIVE miles.

The next time I went out (after a couple days rest), it was all I could do to get a mile and a half in before taking a walking break. What happened? Since then, 3 miles is the best I've done. Decent, but well short of 5.

Results vary.

My Christian race is no different. I've had times of gradual progress, building and growing. Occasionally I see mind-blowing leaps, I didn't think were possible. Sometimes, I have a disappointing season, with no success to show for my efforts. Every once in a while, I even sleep in.

But you're doing it.

That's what my husband- a much more experienced runner- tells me when I get aggravated by my lack of progress. Getting out there. Making the effort. That's what counts. It's not the times, the distances, the speed, it's the running.

Day in.

Day out.

Put on the shoes and go.

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Breathing

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Running across a flatThe single factor that determines how far or how fast I run is not my heart rate or my leg muscles. It's not even the heat or the hills (We call 'em that here in Illinois just to humor the natives. I'm from Eastern Kentucky. I KNOW what a hill is.) It's not lack of hydration or my shoes that causes me to take a walking break.

It's breathing.

I knew breathing would be important, but I didn't realize what a make-or-break you part of running it was. Once the newbie, gasping phase passed, I found there's a rhythm to it. That steady in and out increased my endurance far beyond what I believed I was capable of.

In the New Testament, the same Greek word is used for breath and Spirit, and there's a definite parallel between physical running and running the race God lays before me. The key to success and endurance is learning to run in the rhythm the Holy Spirit dictates. The "heat" and the "hills" are what God chooses. I picked up my shoes already. But breathing gives strength to my legs to keep those big muscles moving.

If I push too hard, my lungs can't keep up and I get that familiar pain in my side. In the same way, if I try to push beyond the Spirit's direction, He'll give me that same hitch as a door closed, an obstacle or sometimes a spectacular failure.

In Matthew 11:29 The Message says "Walk with Me and work with Me–watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace." Breathing. In and out. The Holy Spirit. In us, then out through us.

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Running with a Plan

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lone runnerWhen I started running, I knew less than nothing about what I was doing. My plan consisted of running as far as I could and then walking until I could breathe again. However, this past spring, Jon brought me a real training plan. Following it, I learned I was able to push beyond what I thought I was capable of. I stretched out my distances, my recovery times improved and so did my speed.

Granted, there were plenty of weeks I didn't reach all the goals the plan laid out for me. Sometimes, it took 3 or 4 weeks to accomplish what the plan slated for a single week. But having a concrete goal, and measurable progress helped me out tremendously. Tomorrow, I'm shooting for 6 miles. It wasn't so long ago that 6 minutes was out of reach.

When we become believers, we understand that means living a Christ-like life. And we get busy, doing the best we can. Success is spotty. Progress is hard to measure, and it's easy to get discouraged. This is where you need a plan. God gave us that plan in His word.

You may be thinking there's no clear cut plan in Scripture. (Not like Monday: Walk 1 mile. Run 5 minutes. Walk 3 minutes. Repeat 3 times. Walk 1 mile. Pretty straightforward.) But as you read – just read, not deep study – as you listen to sermons, or go to a small group, things will catch your attention. It may be positive- an exciting new insight. It may be negative- an attitude that needs correction. Those things that you're drawn to, those are the things God wants you to work on next. This is your plan. Tailor-made for you.

Right now, God is working with me on my worship. Sunday mornings are crazy, and by the time my brain has settled enough for worship, church is over. I want to come bringing acceptable praise, not just be "present". So my plan right now centers on these questions: Where is my heart? What are my priorities? Why do I get off-track?

When He's satisfied with my progress, He'll move me on to the next step in the plan.

What's in your training plan?

Gotta be the Shoes

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A pair of ASICS running shoes, model GEL-Kinsei
Image via Wikipedia

Another important lesson I've learned about running is that shoes matter. When I started, it was pure, dumb luck that I had good shoes. However, when those wore out, so did my luck. My second pair of shoes threw off my stride and caused some real pain on the insides of my calves. I quickly became educated about pronation, gait and support in my quest for the right shoe. It paid off. I have great shoes now, and pain in my feet ankles or knees is no longer an issue.

Scripture mentions shoes in a key passage in Ephesians 6. Paul discusses putting on the armor of God and mentions the "preparation of the gospel of peace". Granted, combat boots are a little different than running shoes, but the purpose is the same- enabling you to move forward with traction and confidence.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ – We know what it is. We understand we've been saved from eternal judgment, and that we have eternal life ahead of us, but do we realize what power if gives us NOW. The good news is

that we are forgiven from every offense committed against a holy God,

that we are accepted,

that God delights in us just as He delights in His Son.

Not just on our good days. Every day. Favored. Accepted. Loved.

Walk in those shoes today. See if your steps aren't a little lighter!

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Throw Out Your Expectations

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red arrow graphWhen I started running a little over a year ago, I envisioned that time becoming a tremendous opportunity to talk to God, to enjoy the early morning quiet (I run at 5 a.m.) and have some me time. So far my prayers mostly consist of important things like "Next breath, God…" and "Let me get my phone out before the heart attack hits." Important- maybe. Deeply spiritual- not so much. However, that's not to say God hasn't taught me some great life lessons (and He's given me a few great posts, too.) Over the next several weeks, I'd like to share some of those things and how they apply to this race we are all in. "…let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus…" Hebrews 12:1-2

Lesson #1 Throw Out Your Expectations
Remember I said I expected to have this super-spiritual time during my run? Didn't happen. I also expected to lose weight. Didn't happen. I also found out if you've never run, forty-five seconds is embarrassingly challenging. I quickly learned this was new territory and previously held ideas and standards no longer applied. Sure, I could walk 3-4 miles, no trouble. Running was different.

In our Christian race, whether we are new believers, or we've been at this for years, we bring an armload of expectations with us, expectations that, when unmet, damage our faith.

Drop them.
We hold on to things like "now that I'm a believer, things will get easier." And when the opposite happens, we are swallowed up with "why did You let this happen to me?" We have ideas about how God should let us serve Him. When He wants to take us in a new and different direction, we resist or even refuse. We have notions about what our results should be, and we measure our "success" or "failure" by our standards.

Living in a way that honors God is different from any other approach to life.
What standards and preconceived ideas do we draw on? Personal experience. Historical examples. Business models that don't always work, teaching techniques that sometimes fail, and marketing strategies that often miss the mark. Living a life of faith is different. It's constantly 'looking unto Jesus" and nowhere else, fixing and re-fixing my eyes on the author and finisher of my faith.

The more I cling to my expectations, the more I frustrate His purposes.
God's goal is making me more Christ-like, preparing me to serve Him through eternity. My life now is a wisp of a warm-up for my real calling. It's not the main event. I forget that. Doing things God's way means that hard times bring joy and strength while easy times make me lazy and prone to ignore God. Failing to meet a goal may actually mean success in surrendering my plans to Him.

Have you had to give up some expectations to follow Jesus? Was it hard?
 

Running the Race

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Asics running shoesI've had a very frustrating few weeks running lately. For starters, it's nearly 80 degrees at 5 a.m. And the humidity has been on par with the deep South. That makes it tough to breathe, and it really saps what little stamina I have. The worst thing, though, has been the saga of the shoes. I put 500+ miles on my shoes, and switched to a new pair. A really cool pair. However, the support in the new shoes was just enough different that running in them led to shin splints. Trying to squeeze a few more weeks out of my old shoes made them worse. So… Of course, all this has an application, (or two).

A bad solution can be worse than the problem – I chose what I thought were good, quality running shoes, and they were. They were just wrong for me. Had I done more research, been better informed, depended on someone more knowledgeable than I was, I would have been saved some pain, and several days of missed running. We face all sorts of challenges as we run the race God sets before us. Depending on our own knowledge and opinions can make our situation worse. However, if we do some (Scriptural) research, talk to more experienced runners (mature believers) consult with the expert (the Holy Spirit), we can hit on a solution that benefits us rather than costing us time and causing more pain.

The right support matters – The new shoes felt great when I tried them on in the store, and during the days I walked in them. But, when I ran, my cool new shoes had no support construction to stop my ankle from rolling when my foot hit. That forced my calf muscles to try and hold my foot in place and that job was way too big for them. Sometimes, we need cushiony "poor baby" kind of support when we're having hard times. Other times, we need firmer "stability control" support to keep us on course when we feel like giving up, or when the job gets too big. It helps to know ourselves, the issues we have trouble with, and the support available. (My husband is stability control, but I have friends who are more cushiony.)

Now that I've identified the problem, and determined what support I need, after a few more days rest, I'll be back in the race!

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 12:1-2, NLT)

 

 

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