Running

I hate running. I mean, I really hate running! It’s almost as bad as going to the dentist (and you don’t even want to know how long it’s been since I’ve been there!)

BUT

Most of my team enjoys running and I’ve heard rumors of African Belly (gaining weight in Africa because of all the carbs we will be eating.

SO

I have started running. Okay, maybe running is a stretch. It’s really more like jogging. And it’s only been a week and a half. The day I can run a mile at a time will be a day to celebrate! (Yes, it’s that bad!)

My muscles scream every time I run, saying “You haven’t used me in 10+ years. Why are you trying to use me now?” At first, I would stop as soon as I heard the scream, thinking “Okay, that’s far enough. That’s all I can do.” After a few days, I was talking about my running problems to my sister-in-law who told me “You can run with the pain.” My response: “Yeah right?! You don’t understand this pain!” And then I remembered, she lives in pain every day and still pushes through it, rarely complaining about it.

The past couple days I’ve been reminded to push through the pain, dig a little deeper, and go further.

So, while I still don’t look forward to running each day, I LOVE the end result. I love the feeling of accomplishment. I love the life it’s bringing to me.

As I was running today and thinking about these things, God reminded me that the same principles of pushing through the pain, digging deeper, and going further apply to my relationship with him. When I’m studying God’s Word and worshiping Him, I tend to push just to the point where I begin to feel convicted. I stop and say “Okay, that’s far enough. That’s all I can do.” But God is reminding me: “You need to push through the pain.” When I get to that point where I’m being convicted and it hurts, I need to dive deeper into God and His word, go further than I have before. Because while there is pain in that moment, the end result is way better than the end result of my physical running.