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I
get out and run a few times a week, but hot summer days give me a very small window for running. If I don’t get out before the sun comes up, it’s probably not happening that day.
Rain—rare as it can be in my area this time of year—adds to the challenge. But as I ran on a misty, dark morning recently, the Lord reminded me of a few truths that are just as good for the road of life as they are on the run:
Know the terrain
I have two to three loops I’m familiar with depending on how many miles I want to run. When you repeatedly travel the same paths, it gets easy to remember where the trouble spots are. There’s a sidewalk on one of my streets, for example, where a soil shift has caused the concrete to break and ramp upward. I’m always thankful when I remember to step over—rather than stumble on—that little piece of pavement.
Applied personally, knowing the terrain means knowing my tendencies in different seasons of life and adjusting accordingly. There are times on my schedule when I’m going to be a little more uptight because I’m a little busier than usual. Twenty years ago, I was sure the way to navigate times like that would be to press in and work even harder. Now I know hectic seasons are times, at least for me, when I need to apply more self care and slow down in as many areas as possible to conserve energy for the most demanding tasks at hand.
Mind your posture
As I tire during a run, my posture begins to sag. My chin drops, which makes breathing more difficult. That lowering chin starts to put pressure on the middle of my spine, which, in turn, puts more stress on my lower back and hips. This eventually changes my stride, causing unnatural movement in my knees and feet. The result? Increased soreness and a need to take extra days off to give my body a chance to heal.
It’s easy to get out of whack—physically and mentally. I’ve suffered from many a mental sag, which is why it’s so important for me to remember God’s command to set my mind on things above (Colossians 3:2) and to be renewed in my mind by truth (Romans 12:1-2). Just as it takes discipline and stamina to maintain proper posture while running, it takes effort to keep your mind focused on what the Lord has promised and what He is doing rather than on what’s going wrong or what you don’t have.
Puddles are unavoidable
I hate wet socks and shoes, but when you’re running in the rain and in the dark, you’re going to step right in the middle of several puddles. It’s unavoidable. And when you’re a couple of miles from home, you can either pout about your soggy footwear or focus on something better and finish the run strong.
Sometimes I live as if it’s possible to avoid puddles, and when I step into one, I get nonplussed, as if something unusual is happening to me. Life’s got puddles—lots of them. Better to embrace that reality and spend my mental energy seeking the Lord’s comfort and wisdom rather than lamenting wet socks.
“I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace,” Jesus said in John 16:33. “You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”
Jesus wasn’t running when He said that … but that shoe sure does fit.
