Tag: challenges in running

In All Conditions

Lisa Preuett

Philippians 4:11-13 “…I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

 

What are the perfect conditions when pounding the pavement? Ideal weather. No aches and pains. Fastest pace ever. When we’re fortunate enough to run in ultimate conditions, we soak it up—adoring every moment. This is what we call the runner’s high. This is when we tell anyone who’ll listen, “Running is the best thing ever!” Our best-case-scenario runs make us feel on top of the world, like nothing could ever steal our passion.

But what if it’s below freezing? Frigid wind blowing in your face. How about rain?  Not just scattered showers, but a torrential downpour—sloshing through puddles, water streaming down your face. Does your passion begin to melt when running in blistering heat? Maybe you run your slowest pace ever in a race, knees throbbing at the finish line. How do you survive your worst-case-scenario kind of runs?

We can’t control extreme weather. But we adjust our wardrobe—acclimating to the outside temps. The temps remain the same, but our attitude changes our perception. Our bodies won’t always function the way we want. But we recover, and keep going.

As Christians, we can apply these same strategies in our difficult seasons of life. We can’t control the circumstances swirling around us, but we can choose to be content in every situation. Is that really possible? According to the apostle Paul, it is.

His journey led him down a path of extreme persecution. He was flogged, beaten with rods, stoned and thrown into prison multiple times. He plunged through other worst-case-scenario seasons, too! He was shipwrecked three times, spent an entire night and day in the open sea, faced danger from robbers and frequently experienced thirst, hunger and sleepless nights. (Imagine showing up to a race start line completely dehydrated, famished and exhausted!)

He couldn’t control the extreme persecution he faced. Yet he chose to be content—even in prison, where he penned many pages of the New Testament epistles. Even in horrendous circumstances, he accepted where he was. How in the world could he possibly do that?

The key is found in today’s scripture: He could do all things through Christ. The power of the Holy Spirit ignited a supernatural strength within him, allowing his soul to acclimate to his surroundings.

Although we long for perfect living conditions, that’s not reality. We don’t always get to live life in our sweet spot. Just as our physical bodies acclimate to extreme temps, Jesus pours his strength and peace on our weary souls. When we embrace the Holy Spirit, he leads us in every situation, no matter how extreme it feels. As strength ignites within us, it changes our perception of what lies ahead.

We must embrace Paul’s words and trust that we can do all things through Christ. When life’s bitter-cold winds blow fiercely in our face, we keep moving. When the journey feels like a desert, we seek the streams of living water.  When hard times slow us down, we don’t give up. We keep on trusting and stay as close to Jesus as possible. No matter what kind of season we’re facing, we resolve to keep running the race.

READY? Identify a time when life’s conditions were not so good for you. How did you get through it? Where in your life are you struggling to be content right now? Like Paul, are you willing to surrender, claiming the strength of Jesus?

GET SET.  2 Corinthians 12:10 “For the sake of Christ, then I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

GO!  Lord Jesus, I thank you for the reminder today of your powerful strength. When I feel like drowning in difficult circumstances, help me cling to your truth. Instead of focusing on the stuff I can’t control, please help me focus on who you are. Amen.

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If you enjoyed this post check out my book,

 Embracing The Race: 40 Devotions for the Runner’s Soul

Blessings to you!

Lisa Preuett

 

The Halfway Point

Lisa Preuett

Nehemiah 4:6 “So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart.”

One and a half miles. You’re halfway through a 5K. Just a little bit past a 5K, you’re halfway through a 10K. At 6.5 you’ve hit the halfway point of a half-marathon. And for those who are determined enough to run a full marathon, 13.1 miles is your halfway mark.

Halfway.

Some runners view the halfway point as major progress. Excitement oozes out through pouring sweat. Reaching this place in any race—no matter what the distance—ushers in mixed thoughts and emotions. Look how far I’ve come! I’m halfway through! The hardest part is over.

But others might see the halfway point with a completely different perspective. I’m only halfway through? I can’t possibly repeat the same distance I’ve just come. I thought I was closer to the finish line. I thought my pace would be quicker than this.

In 2009, Jenny Barringer was favored to win the NCAA cross-country championship race.  At first Jenny confidently held the lead. Surely she’d win the coveted first place title. But midway through the race something happened. Jenny’s pace slowed considerably. Runners who trailed her, suddenly whizzed past, leaving Jenny gasping for breath. She dropped to 10th place, then 20th. Struggling to keep up, she later crossed the finish line in 169th place. When questioned after the race as to what happened, Jenny explained, “Halfway into it, I didn’t feel so good. It was sudden. I thought I couldn’t run.” It wasn’t an injury that slowed her down. It was her perception. Discouraging thoughts paralyzed her, leading to utter panic.

In the Old Testament we find the prophet Nehemiah at a crucial turning point. He’d reached the  halfway mark in rebuilding the broken walls of Jerusalem. Compelled to undertake this impossible task, the odds were against him. He courageously led the Jewish people for twenty-six straight days in an ultra building project. That’s when their enemies started taunting and threatening them. Halfway through, a choice had to be made. Allow the enemies of criticism and discouragement to halt their efforts? Or keep persevering in spite of how they perceived the remaining work.

In the same way, we too approach halfway points in our lives. We’re midway through a tough project at school or work. Halfway through a challenging phase in our child’s development. Maybe it’s the halfway point of a business venture, ministry dream or a recovery period in our health. Whatever our halfway point is, our perception of it determines the outcome.

Alan Redpath writes, “The halfway stage is the toughest of all. When the initial enthusiasm for something has departed, you are more conscious not so much of what has already been done, but of what is yet to be done; you are increasingly impressed with the magnitude of the unfinished task.”

If we aren’t further along than we expect at our halfway points, we become vulnerable, intimidation gaining on our heels.

So how did Nehemiah proceed? He chose to embrace faith in God instead of allowing discouragement and defeat to take over. He challenged the people with these powerful words: “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome.” He chose to help put their mind in the right perspective. He reminded them there was no reason for fear. Greater was he who was in them than he who was in the world. The opposite of discouragement is faith. While discouragement looks for and believes the worst, faith believes God and his promises.

READY?  Identify a time in your life where you were at a halfway point. How did you proceed? How did your perception affect the outcome? Are you approaching or standing at a halfway point now? Resolve to embrace truth and faith instead of discouragement and defeat.

GET SET. Deuteronomy 31:8 “It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

GO! Lord Jesus, when I find myself at a halfway point, please give me your eyes. May I not give in to discouragement in those moments. Help me embrace your truth and trust you. Give me a heart of faith that will keep me strong for your glory. Amen

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Blessings to you!

Lisa Preuett

 

When Your Body Wears Down

Lisa Preuett

2 Corinthians 4:16 “Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” 

She loved running. This passion fueled her for many years. But one day the excruciating pain in her knees and hips drove her to see her doctor. After waiting for x-ray results, the dreaded diagnosis hit her smack in the face. “I hate to tell you this, but you have osteoarthritis,” the doctor informed. Unfamiliar with the condition, she pleaded with her doctor to explain this culprit—the very thing interfering with her running. Losing heart, she dropped her head in despair.

Osteoarthritis. Not something any runner wants to hear. But the truth is, as we age, osteoarthritis becomes an issue for one out of every two people. Also known as a degenerative joint disease, it causes inflammation and pain in one or more joints. A lifetime of walking, exercising and moving around in general takes a toll on our cartilage. Once arthritis of this type sets in, the cartilage deteriorates, which can lead to bone scraping against bone. Even if you don’t develop osteoarthritis, the stark truth remains: We lose muscle tone and bone strength the older we get!

Dear friend, don’t let this truth bring you down. It’s an uncontrollable fact that our physical bodies will wear down. They won’t last forever. Even the bodies of the most elite runners will eventually wear out. Living in a fallen world, all human beings have a common condition. It’s called sin. But as followers of Christ, we don’t have to lose heart. We don’t have to drop our heads in despair. We can rejoice! Why? Our soul doesn’t waste away. Our soul is renewed day by day.  We become more like Christ through the process of sanctification. The more we seek after him, the stronger our faith becomes. The more we rest in his presence, the power of sin loses its grip on us. The more we humbly surrender to his calling, the more he increases in us.

And the good news gets even better. Even after our physical bodies wear out and we take our last breath on this earth, we are immediately ushered into the presence of God. We’ll see him face-to-face. He promises us a brand new resurrection body. A body that won’t wear out. A body that won’t deteriorate. A body without any pain. Who knows, maybe we’ll even get to continue our running journey in heaven. No shin splints. No cramping muscles. No torn ligaments. No aching knees. Can you imagine that?

So until that day comes, we keep on running. We keep pressing on. We run our hearts out until we can’t take another step. No matter what type of physical diagnosis we receive for our earthly body, we’ll graciously accept it when that time comes. In the meantime, we keep running in our spiritual race. We keep pressing into Jesus. We run our heart out until our last breath. We can rejoice in the fact that we’ve already received our spiritual diagnosis. We are sinners saved by grace.

READY?  Is your life currently affected by any physical pain? What are you most looking forward to when you will experience living in a brand new body in heaven? Whether you have physical pain or not, is your faith growing stronger? What steps do you need to take to keep God the center of your life?

GET SET. 1 Timothy 4:8 “For while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”

GO!  Lord Jesus, I feel weary sometimes living in this physical body! Help me not to focus solely on my physical condition, but to embrace caring for the soul you’ve given me. Thank you for the promise of a new body in heaven. But even more so, thank you for the promise of seeing you face-to-face one day. Help me live in such a way that my life pleases you for the days I run my race of faith on this earth. Amen.

If you enjoyed this post, check out my BOOK.

 

Blessings to you!

Lisa Preuett

God’s Timing is Not Ours!

Lisa Preuett

Proverbs 16:9 “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.”

The day had finally arrived. Surrounded by thousands of runners, I inched my way to the start line. Excitement and adrenaline pumping through my body, I came face-to-face with my first full marathon.

Don’t focus on your time.    Don’t focus on your pace.     Just finish the race.

These words rang out loud in my mind. After a minor setback with a strained muscle, I accepted the fact that my goal was to finish the race. Period. I found my unique rhythm: Run for five minutes. Walk for one minute. After several miles I found myself lingering at the numbers on my watch.

Once I’d reached the thirteen mile marker I felt a huge relief. I’m half way there!

Then I made the mistake of looking too intently at my watch again. I began calculating. Okay, it’s taken me 2 and a half hours to run half a marathon. (which is about average for me!) So I should be able to finish this thing in about 5 hours if I double that. Okay…I’ll even add an extra 30 minutes since I’ll probably go a bit slower at the end.

So in that moment I realistically figured I’d be done by 5 and a half hours for sure. Seemed like a logical expectation, right? But that was my first mistake…..I set up an expectation for something that was unknown.

I plugged along through the next seven miles without any problems. Excitement flowed through every fiber of my body as I approached mile marker 20. This was a turning point. The most I’d run during training was 20. Once I got past 20 miles I’d be venturing into unknown territory. Would my body be able to continue past this point?

Yes! I breathed a sigh of relief passing mile 21. But then I looked at my watch again. Okay…I’m taking a little bit longer according to my earlier calculations, but because I added that 30 minute buffer in there, I may still finish by 5 and a half hours.

Passing mile 22, I felt my left quad muscle shake. I slowed down. Then my right quad muscle did the same. My legs felt like jello.

At this point reality sunk in. If I wanted to complete the race, I had to let go of my expectation of finishing by a certain time. Changing my pace altogether, I started walking slowly. After half a mile, I attempted to run…slowly. My quads wobbled just after a minute!  So this was my new pace. Run one minute. Walk for five. Letting go of my expectations, I stopped focusing on my watch. God reminded me of my original goal. To finish a full marathon.

Turning the final corner, I inched my way across the finish line. It wasn’t in the time I expected. (almost 6 hours!) It didn’t matter what my watch said. It didn’t matter what I’d calculated at the half way mark. I had finished the race!

How often do we make plans according to our own human calculations? How often do we think life will go a certain way based upon what we’ve already experienced? Maybe we think we’ll reach a specific goal in a short time but then we realize it’s taking much longer. Or we expect God to resolve our conflict by a certain date.

He answered my previous prayer in less than a month, surely He’ll answer this one in the same way.

Maybe it took three months. Maybe it took a year. Or perhaps you’re still waiting.

We set ourselves up for disappointment when we expect things to happen in our timing. In our way. Peace would flow more freely in our lives if we trusted God’s timing more often. It’s hard! God’s ways are better than our ways. His timing is perfect. He is never late. Nothing takes Him by surprise. He is ultimately in control of everything.

Wherever you are in your race of life, I encourage you to trust His timing. Trust His ways. One step at a time.

READY? When in your life has an answered prayer come later than you expected? Where in your life are you struggling to trust God’s timing right now? Ask God to show you where you are attempting to take control and trust him to intervene in his timing.

GET SET. Isaiah 55:8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are my ways your ways,” declares the Lord.

GO!  Dear Lord, I confess how I so often want things to go according to my own plans. I lose focus of who you really are and think I’m in control. Forgive me for attempting to make things happen in my timing. Help me to trust your timing and to rest in the truth of who you are. Amen

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Blessings to you!

Lisa Preuett