Training...

If you've ever run a race, you know that it's not the race that's the hard part. The hard part is putting on your big girl pants (or big boy pants, depending) and training the weeks and months before the race.  We're running a half-marathon in November so the subject of training is a hot topic around here.

My neigbhorhood. Approx 7:30am. It'd been raining for a week...which is the only reason I could run after 7am. Otherwise it's waaaay too hot.

 It's hard. Sometimes it's boring. Sometimes you can feel how good it's going to be to cross that finish line and cross like you own it. Sometimes you can feel how good your pillow is supporting your head. My husband claims my feet have superpowers and when his alarm goes off to wake him up early to run, my foot finds his leg and he suddenly can't get out of bed. I plead the 5th.

The big park. It's really neighborhoody feeling. I like it.

You know in your head if you skip your practice run, you'll regret it later.  You know if you push through, running the race and finishing it won't be a problem. 

Misty rain coming. I wonder when that apartment building will be done? Will it have a pool and will I live there? :)

 I'm not sure if the Apostle Paul was an athlete or not.  Was he the track star at Pharisee High?  Could I make a lamer bible joke? His athletic prowess aside, the man knew what he was talking about when he wrote in 1 Corinthians chapter 9 . 

Rain. But it felt good. I was close to home. Just up there on the right beyond the little car.

Oh man, to finish my life's race and be counted as "good and faithful." Problem is, at it's heart, my life has no goodness or faithfulness in it... it's corrupt through deceitful desires. All of it is tainted by sin. The things I'll be able to present to my Father at the end of my life will be the things He Himself has given me. HIS righteousness and holiness. The gifts of HIS Spirit...goodness, gentleness, love, mercy, self-control, faithfulness, joy, peace, patience, kindness- things I want. Things I'll get at the finish line in full...because at the finish line is when I get to enjoy God forever.

If you wanna do 12k (my farthest so far!) before it gets hot, ya gotta roll on out.

Most of the time when I run I let my mind wander. I zone out. Sometimes I zone out praying for someone or asking God to give me wisdom about a situation or issue. Sometimes I think people's exterior paint color choices are hideous. "Ooooo. I like what he did with his balcony reno. He's probably got a great view up there." Sometimes when I have to run past the foreign construction workers I make up contingency plans in case they ever come after me. It varies.

Sunrise a few minutes later helps (this was taken literally 12 minutes after the  one above.  Equator has no slow sunrises or sunsets. It's like a switch. On and off every 12 hours.

But I think for the next bit I'm gonna be meditating on these thoughts; what's it gonna take for me to cross that finish line as a victor one day? To not rest on yesterday's workout. Yesterday's prayer. To cling with regularity to the God who saved me. Sometimes it'll be easy and I'll picture that finish line as doable and attainable...it may even feel close at hand some days. But on the days when there's rain, when the race has to be run in the dark. To trust. To put one foot in front of the other and have faith that my path will be made straight and that one day I WILL cross the finish line. If I keep at it, Jesus will always be faithful to give me everything I need to keep it up. And then at the end, when I get to rest, I'll hear, "Well done!" Then for forever, I'll offer up thanks and praise to Him who helped me finish.

That kiddie pool was worth its weight in gold.
Lord help me to remember the day will come when the race will have been worth it and I obtain the prize of life eternal with You!