I wouldn’t call myself a ‘runner’ and in all honesty I don’t think I could call what I do ‘running’, BUT three times a week (except for days of being sick or injured) for the past few months Jesse, Jenna and I have been lacing up and hitting the roads, trails and paths of our mountain community. Jesse and I started a list of things we want to do and experience together – running a half-marathon being one of them – and since at this moment I am not pregnant and we have an extra pair of hands to help watch the boys, we decided it would be the perfect time to start training and check one thing off the list. (The half we are running is part of a fund raiser we are hosting (The Big Horse Challenge) to raise money for solar power for Cornerstone School of Truth. For more info check it out on the home page of this website).
I have done a half-marathon once in my life, before Jesse and I were “us”. Since that time I have given birth to three boys within a four year timeframe (just in case you were wondering that means over 27 months being pregnant) – needless to say my body and physical capabilities are juuuuuust a bit different than they were in my early twenties. Training has been difficult and great and terrible and fun all at the same time. Every Sunday we do our “long run” and during these long runs (which now are up to 10 miles) I have been learning a lot about the importance of pace and vision. Like I said before I wouldn’t call what I do “running.” I jog… slowly. But for a long run that’s ok. The goal is to pace yourself so that you finish without your body giving up on you. And having vision of the finish line is crucial for me. If I know where I am headed and know when I can stop, I can keep going. I can finish the race and as long as I keep my pace, I can finish it well.
As I have been on this half-marathon training journey, comparing my walk with Jesus to a foot race has been fresh on my mind.
Pace: Jesse and Jenna both run faster than I do. At times that spurs me on to push myself a little more, but other times I just accept the fact that we have different abilities and I cheer them on and keep to my own pace – the pace I know I can finish well with. As we run this race of life in community, we spur each other on in our callings, but we must remember that though we run together, we each have our own race to complete. We have to keep to the pace that God has called us to and not compete or compare with those who seem to be running faster. We each have different capabilities and need to know our lane in order to finish and not push ourselves so hard that we end up giving up and falling out of the race.
Vision: If our eyes are not fixed on Jesus during this marathon of life, we will so easily get discouraged and want to quit. It is said that without vision the people perish (Proverbs 29:18), and how easy it is for me to give into sin and selfishness if I do not constantly remind myself that I will one day see Jesus face to face. My vision must be locked on Jesus for me to walk this life out to completion for Him.
Though we get tired, discouraged or bored even in this marathon of following Jesus, we must remember to pace ourselves for the “long run” and keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, our ultimate finish line.
“… and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith…” Hebrews 12:1-2
- Kirsten
