Running vs. LIFE

Well, as I ventured out on a morning run by myself I was enlightened by certain parallels between my running experiences and my life.

Flat and Straight = Sometimes a run seems simple. It's flat and you can see far enough ahead that you know exactly where you are going. Sometimes you can predict exactly how long it will take to get to the end of the straightaway. I find similarities between this type of run and my "coasting" times of life. There is minimal day-to-day type stresses (aches/pains) and things kind of keep rolling on. I begin to feel confident in my abilities and position in life.

Curves = Now curvy paths may be uphill, downhill, or flat. This type of running can be very emotional. You never quite know where you are going, exactly. You can't see far ahead in the path. You may hit a short downhill and feel respite, "This is going to be OK." Then you turn a corner and there is a daunting hill. I think that most of real living is curves. We rarely are able to see our path for any measurable distance before us. Each day is filled with surprises that throw a wrench into our well laid plans or bathe us in God's mercy.

Downhill = For all intents and purposes you would think the downhill would be a blessing to the runner. You are partly right. A short downhill can give you a chance to catch your breath, work a little less, and let your feet just fall one in front of the other. There is relief in a downhill run, initially. If a downhill run is too long it can be murder on your body. I learned many years ago that hiking up a hill is much easier on the body than coming back down. If our downhills in life are too long, each step can become excruciating and jarring causing you to wish you could just sit down and stay there forever.


Uphill = Ugh! The most overwhelming to me as a runner. My neighborhood has many hills. The worst hills are brutal because you can almost see the end from the beginning. When I start that first step up a hill I know I have a long way to go. It is too overwhelming. I have found the only way to get up our hills is to focus on one footfall at a time. If I keep my eyes up looking at the end of the hill I convince myself I will never get there. This hill will never end. I will never get relief. However, if I draw in and focus on putting one foot in front of the other, eventually I find myself at the top. At this point, I look back at the hill and thank the Lord for getting me through it. I hate hills, but they do show us how strong we really can be if we are "running with Jesus".

Humidity = Finally, since I am a Minnesotan I must address the humidity factor. Humidity can make the simplest task difficult or seem impossible. Even those blessed flat/straight areas become difficult because the air is so thick you have to slice it and chew it before you can inhale. Bodies need oxygen to function. So, when you find yourself running or living with a dew point of 81, slow down - WALK. Be gentle with yourself, hydrate with water, living water to keep yourself from passing out along the path.

God promises us he will never leave us. I love Isaiah 40:31 "They that wait (lean) upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they will mount up with wings as eagles. They shall RUN and NOT be WEARY, they shall WALK and NOT FAINT." You will notice that I refer to life as a run/walk not a race. We are not competing with anyone. We are simply trying to get through one day after another with the Lord by our side. Some days we will run and feel like champions. Some days we will walk and feel lucky to have made it a couple of feet. But, every day we will get up and move because we love our Father in Heaven, we know we are saved through the atonement of Jesus Christ and we want to be more like Him.

Where have I been?

Nowhere, really. I have found that spring is a neck-breaking catapult into summer. Just when I get hopeful about spring coming around the bend we are in the downhill slide to summer. I can't seem to get a hold of anything as time speeds up with choir tour, end of the year field trips, school programs, annual work trip with D, Memorial Day...

In March I envision myself crawling into a comfortable hammock-type apparatus. I know that I can survive the rest of the cruel Minnesota winter and I look fondly to the horizon of a far off summer. "There is still time" I tell myself. I enjoy the schedule of school, lessons, rehearsals, and church activities. Routine wraps me in a warm, predictable embrace all school year long. I snuggle into my proverbial hammock feeling as if predictability will be my companion for a good-long time.

Little do I know that my snuggly hammock is really a fully cocked catapult ready to let loose. And so it does. It lets loose and sends me hurtling through time until I land in a gelatinous puddle of fatigue and bewilderment in late June. I am not saying that March to June are unpleasant days; quite the contrary, I love the blossom of spring and the anticipation of warm days, late nights, and sleeping in. Oh I love to sleep! But my June puddling self can't seem to be present in any of the moments I have "flown" over. Not sure how to slow all that down and really suck the marrow from each day.

My oldest daughter B is well on her way to young womanhood and all the blessings that come with that transition. Her life seems to swirl around my head and I try to keep smiling as I know her time with me is fleeting. I love that child. She is the product of prayer, fasting, and faith. A joy to me she has always been. Even in times of struggle, my interactions with her convince me that I am truly alive and a mother. Is it possible to both dread and eagerly anticipate the future? I am so excited to know her as she journeys into adulthood, but my heart will always ache for the days of snuggles, milk mustaches, and story books together.

My middle child M is an amazement. She colors my world vivid. If not for her, my life would be black and white and often without a soundtrack. Her perspective has opened up new experiences for me and my appreciation of all creation. What a blessing she has been to all of us with her tender heart and sensibility. What will she be and more importantly, what will she wear?

My boy C is my little man. Muscle from head to toe and a heart of gooey caramel. He smothers me with kisses and wants to help and take care of all "his girls". He has an old spirit that seems to communicate easily with heaven. I often sneak up to listen at his door as he talks with God and tells him all of his thoughts. Tender and simple, he thanks God for making his life possible, for frogs and beautiful rocks. He asks that no one will ever be hurt. No one will ever have their house burn down or get sick from carbon monoxide poisoning. (latest obsession) Help us to love each other and for everyone to know God better.

So, where have I been? Right here. Not present in the blogosphere, maybe not even present enough in my every day, but still right here - hurtling through time trying to grab any little bit of joy as it flies by.