Running Through Life

Physical Workout vs. Spiritual Reality

There's nothing like a good workout, but just last week I was running on the treadmill and I hit the wall!! I was only 15 minutes into my normal 20 minute run, and I felt like I wasn't going to make it. My ankles were hurting, my knees were hurting and I had a sharp pain in my side; it was an ugly deal. And it didn't help that I had just had a big cheeseburger from Kincaids the day before either :) As I contemplated quitting, I had a flashback to my days of running track, and something that Coach Tony used to always scream to me while I was running in a 400 meter race: "Keep your form!". The 400m is one lap around the track and during that last 100 meters everything in your body begins to hurt and what typically happens is an athlete will begin to lose his form, his stride will weaken, he won't move his arms in sync with his legs, and he'll let his head fall back. All of this not only looks really ugly, but it also slows down the runner, and by slowing him down, it actually makes him endure his pain even longer. Coach Tony screaming "keep your form" meant that I needed to keep my stride strong, continue to move my arms, and to keep my head up and stay focused on the finish line. And as I ran on the treadmill, I began to take that advice to heart. But it didn't only impact my physical pain, I also saw a tremendous amount of spiritual truth in it.

I thought about the reality of going through tough times in the Christian life. Just like I wanted to quit during my workout, tough times usually make us want to throw in the towel; maybe you've experienced it like I have. But one thing I realized is that we must keep our form at all costs; and what represents our form in the Christian life? I believe it is our spiritual disciplines (things that bring us closer) to God. Here are just a few: Prayer, Devotional Bible Reading, Bible Study, Spiritual Service, Fasting, Worship, and Solitude. These are things that keep us focused on the journey ahead of us, and if we lose sight of them, it can actually make our travel through a tough time take longer. Next time the Lord sends you through something, remember to keep your form; or if you're currently going through something, KEEP YOUR FORM. Don't sway or get sluggish, keep your head up and stay focused on what God has called you to do. And draw near to the Lord with all your might. I promise you, actually He promises you that He will draw near to you in return! KEEP YOUR FORM and don't give up!

"Yet those who wait for the LORD
Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary." - Isaiah 40:31

"Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." - James 1:2-4

Lessons from Journey, Part 2

Lesson 2. Rejoice in Your Heavenly Father
"Don't Forget to Have Fun!!!"

As bad as those doctor's visits can be, there is something amazing about how short Journey's memory is. She can be in the middle of a downright rough day, and then I can come along and make that certain funny face (kinda like a horse making a swooshy sound) and she will fall into a big smile or uncontrollable laughter. Sure, Journey can have a bad day, but she has not yet learned how to put all of the worry and stress upon herself like we grown-ups are SO GOOD at!!!! She can usually pause in the middle of whatever is going on and have a good laugh. Wow, what a skill! How did we let this skill slip from our grasps as we got older?!?!?!

The bible says in Proverbs 17:22 that "A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones". That is not me or Journey talking, but wisdom from God. Think about what medicine does for a minute, it heals you from an ailment. What ailment are you currently afflicted with? Is it stress, worry, sickness, faithlessness, lack of patience, or maybe you are have something else? Good medicine for your situation can be found cultivating a joyful heart. Have you had a good laugh lately? It is still OK for you to laugh isn't it? Having joy is a choice you have to make, the only alternative is to have a broken spirit. It's kind of like having a defeated attitude, and the bible tells us that it will dry up our bones, or literally make them rot or brittle, so that our bones cannot support our bodies and help us to function and get around like we are supposed to. If we have a defeated attitude our situation, our day, or even our life can be rendered completely ineffective.

Finally, on one last note, I want to share one last note about my daughter's joy. Not everyone can make her rejoice like her daddy can! Trust me, others have tried to make the same faces and sounds like I make, but to no avail, they get no laughter, no smile, no nothing! Her joy is not random, it is directed and derived from a certain person, her father. As we seek to cultivate a joyful heart, we must realize that the only way we can have true joy is if we find our joy in our Heavenly Father. He is someone who takes care of us, comforts us, loves us, provides for us, blesses us, teaches us, and guides us. Why not find joy in that? Even right now a little smile might hit your face when you think about how good He is to you. Just as Paul continually wrote to the Philippians, Rejoice in the Lord! Think for a minute, when was the last time you had a good wholesome laugh or a huge smile on your face. Go back to that place and time in your mind, and try to remember what brought that joy to you. Take note of it, and do whatever you can to try to cultivate a refreshing and joyful heart daily. It will help you, kind of like medicine!

Lessons from Journey, Part 1

Journey is now 5 months old and WOW, what a blessing she has been to our lives. It is amazing to see how God can sculp a new life and a new personality. What is even more amazing is the life lessons that God has been teaching me through the life of a precious little girl. This is the first of many forthcoming lessons that God has reminded me through Journey...

Lesson 1. Blessings Come in Disguise
"Ouch! This is Supposed to be Good for Me?"

The apex of each of the last doctor visits has been when the doctor got out the NEEDLE for her shots. Aneesah and I have had the dubious task of holding her down while she received her vaccinations. As her father I know that what she is getting will help her immune system and fight off many sicknesses, but there is still a little part in me that struggles to hold her while she is screaming at the top of her lungs. I can only imagine what she is probably thinking, "I thought this guy loved me, but he's the one holding me down while this doctor sticks me with a needle." You see, it will be years before she'll understand why she went through that pain. But there was a purpose in her pain.

Sometimes we go through similar circumstances don't we? We wonder why in the world I am going through ________? When will this end? Why is God doing this to me? There is a story in the bible that just might speak to you, it is found in Exodus 13. The Israelites had faced oppression and slavery from the Egyptians for many years and their breakthrough had finally come, Pharaoh had decided let God's people go! So off they went, on the way to their freedom, but they quickly ran into a dead end, a little thing called the Red Sea. And to make things worse, Pharaoh changed his mind and he was hot on their heels. Here they were, stuck in between pharaoh's army and the Red Sea. They began to question their leader and God; wondering, why and how this could happen. One thing they can't go back and see is that it was God who specifically put them there (check Exodus 13:18). The same God who led them into to this perilous situation was also the same God who would deliver them yet again. God was setting them up for an even greater experience, they got to see the Red Sea part! Whatever we go through, the first thing we must realize is that God is the one who allowed us to get here. And secondly, we must rest in the fact that God doesn't do things without a purpose, so he does have a plan in the midst of what you're going through. And finally, we must continue to exercise faith in God. We cannot give up, we must look for the next step that God wants us to take. And remember, that next step might not answer all the questions you have about your situation, but it will get you one step closer to God! God does love you and He does have a plan, just like I love my daughter and I do have a plan for her safety. It may not be pretty at the very moment of the shot, but something is going on under the surface that is protecting her and making her stronger. God is probably trying to do the same thing in you! He's protecting you and making you stronger, it just may be below the surface of your understanding. Stay encouraged!