Running to win!

Last weekend, I had the opportunity to do something I had thought about for quite a while. I ran a 10k race, the Race for the Cure, in Sioux Falls, our nearest city. My awesome sister Lara flew in from Boston to be my running partner, and we joined up with Stephanie, a friend from my church here. My mom also came down to cheer us on. I realize 10k is not a long distance for real runners, but alas, I am not a real runner. I am probably not even an amateur runner. So 10k was a pretty big deal for me. 

Stephanie asked me about this race one day at the Y, if i wanted to do it with her. This was a few months ago, so I had lots of time to prepare. Thanks to my mother in law, I have great running shoes! Thanks to my husband, I have an ipod Nano, which i got last year for mothers day and completely revolutionized my measly running program. In addition to all the music/radio/podcast/etc capabilities, it tracks my time, my distance, my speed, i plug it into the computer and it does all kinds of things i dont even know about yet. it even has famous athletes congratulate me when i meet/exceed a goal, or have my best run yet! a really cool tool. For the race, I ate this Shot Blok, one of those chewy energy things. 

But would it have done me much good if i kept all this stuff in the closet? what about by the door? At least I would still think about. every time i saw my running shoes waiting for me at the door, silently calling out to me to put them on and get outside. Would that have helped me be a better runner, and achieve my goal of finishing the race? i could have all the nifty gadgets in the world, i could belong to a runners group in my town, i could track my runs online, i could preregister for every race out there, i could even get the tshirts. i could carb-load  all i want, i could read runners world. will it make me be a better runner? sure, it might help. 

but when it comes right down to it, the only thing that will really work is getting out there and running. and running. and running. when its raining. when my knee hurts. when its too hot. when i'd rather be using my sunday afternoons for something else. when i'm just plain tired. I'll be honest with you, i dont actually like running half the time. So i dont push myself nearly as much as other people push themselves. And wouldnt you know, every single time I cross a finish line, i have a teeny bit of regret. I could have tried harder. Could have trained more. Could have disciplined myself better. 

there are two areas of my life in which i aspire to be more disciplined: my exercise and my quiet time. I know I am not the first one to have used this analogy (hello, Paul!). But it just rings so true. Just like running, I am all set up for success in Bible study. I have oodles of experience, thanks to my upbringing and education, I have a all the necessary tools like nifty color coded highlighters (thank you, Chris Fleener!) and a beautiful journal, I have a comfy chair and a strong cup of coffee ready and waiting, thanks to my programmable coffee maker. But is that going to make me a better student of the Word and more passionately seeking after God? Let me tell you, the answer to that is a resounding no. The only thing is me getting my butt out of bed, before my family wakes up, sitting down in my chair, and actually doing it. I can hear about it on the radio. I can listen to the preaching of what someone else has studied. I can talk about how much I want to do it. But unless i actually do it, and do it regularly, I wont have much to show for it. 

But the similarities only go so far. I do think exercise is important, but shame on me when I make time for my physical health and not time for spiritual health. Just like there are fitness goals I would like to achieve, like running a 10k, there are spiritual goals I would like to achieve. Patience with my children, contentment with lack of material possessions, fruit in the form of new believers. I know these are not things I can manufacture in myself. I am simply not capable. The only way there can be lasting change in my life and heart is if I put in the time with the life-changer Himself. If I never fit into my pre-baby jeans, if i never run any farther than 6 miles, life goes on. But I dont want any regrets about my lack of spiritual training. My lack of focus, lack of intensity, lack of striving towards a finish line, against all odds.

  I knew what the course held last weekend. i looked at a map, we drove around the area. I knew the hills, the water breaks, the mile markers. But none of us have any idea what is coming up in the race we are all running. Whether we are hurtling towards the finish line right around the corner, or whether we are still a ways off. So. . .  

"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.

We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God's throne." Hebrews 12:1-2

And I know Who is waiting for me at the finish line.