God is Trying to Get You in Shape

Okay...soooo I'm special and forgot to post this...If you have already read "It Has to Rain" this is the first part that I mention...It's loooong, but hopefully worth the read.....Written 5-14-2008

This morning was a typical morning. I dropped my baby off at daycare and drove home. Only this time I decided that I wanted to run brays bayou. You see for the past couple of months that I have lived on the bayou, I have been telling myself "I'm gonna get in shape, I'm gonna start running, I'm gonna run from Fondren to Chimney Rock" (I had high hopes ;-) I mean how hard could it be? I drive down this street everyday and I see this trail everyday, so how hard can it really be? I had been putting off getting in shape since November (it's now May) so you can imagine what I was about to get myself into...Well, while driving down this familiar road, I began to look at the signal lights as my guide. Start at Fondren, get to Hilcroft, then eventually to Chimney Rock, so I had already planned my trip although I had never set foot on this trail. When I arrived home, I put on my tennis shoes and set out on my journey. As I was walking to my starting point, I began to pray. I prayed that God would speak to me on this run, I prayed for a friend that lost her mother, I prayed for my family, but what I didn't pray for was getting ready to run down this familiar street on this unfamiliar trail. Now like me you have probably been in this situation before saying "I'm gonna get in shape"or "I'm gonna go on a diet", but once we start the end seems so far away that eventually we just tend to give up. This run, it started out okay, I mean I was on a familiar road, just an unfamiliar trail....So as I began running along this familiar road, yet unfamiliar trail, the trail began to twist and turn. I wasn't prepared for this, but nevertheless, I kept running. It didn't take long for me to realize that I was getting tired. I started to get a horrible cramp on my right side, my breathing was getting erratic, yet I hadn't even made it to the FIRST signal light. I kept telling myself "keep pushing, it's the only way you're gonna get in shape" There were some other people on this trail this morning: some bikers, walkers, other runners. As each one passed, I tried my best to either wave or smile all the while in pain, out of breath, and still trying to make it to that FIRST signal light. When I FINALLY go to the first light, I was extremely tired, but I still had such a long way to go. "Man I am really outta shape" I told myself, but I didn't want to stop and walk, so I ran a little bit longer all the while thinking to myself "Lord, I'm hungry thirsty and I don't think I can go on anymore" Finally, I made it to the second light-Hilcroft-yall by this time, this trail had twisted, turned, went up and down, pretty much beating me to the ground. My side cramp was killing me, my breathing by this point had turned into a heaving, asthmatic sounding pant and at this point I decided that I was just going to stop at the next light because Chimney Rock was just too far away. So, I looked up at the next light which I thought was some random side street that you pass before Chimney Rock, put my head down and dug just a little deeper. But upon lifting my head something truly surprised me. I began to see familiar landmarks, landmarks you only see as you approach Chimney Rock. I had already passed the random light that I had decided would be my stopping point. The light I saw in the distance had been Chimney Rock all along. When I realized how close I was, my stride got longer, my breathing slowed, my side stitch slowly relaxed and I began to experience what most know as the "runner's high" That's when your body begins to release endorphins that block the pain receptors and allow you to go on a little longer. Watch how God works...You see I started off on this familiar road on this unfamiliar trail not the least bit in shape, with no food on my stomach, and the end not in sight, but God...He saw the end and he knew what was ahead. You see our walk with God is alot like this journey I took this morning. We begin to walk with Him, but as soon as things get too hard, we get too tired, or we cant see the end we try to compromise our goal and turn around. We fail to see that those are the times that God is trying to get us in shape. A little tid bit about getting into shape is that it's hard when you first begin. Your muscles may get sore, you get that cramp in your side, and you might not make it all the way, but if you just keep going....your muscles wont hurt as much, that side cramp will go away, and eventually you will make it all the way. Keep running with God; He is trying to get you in shape. The best lesson that I learned from this was that God knows that we don't always see the potential within ourselves to make it to the end. He sees our defeatist, compromising attitudes that tells us "I'm too tired, I'll just stop at the next light and turn around and go home", and that is when He gives us that boost to continue the journey. If you missed it earlier, I mentioned that I had made it up in my mind to stop at a light before Chimney Rock, turn around and go home, but God had already taken me passed the point at which I had prepared to quit, and had seen me to the end.  When I looked up and realized I had passed my mental stopping point it was as if God spoke clearly ans said "In times you don't see the end and you want to give up and quit, I will push you through whatever it is that you claim to be your stopping point, you see my child, you wanted to quit, turn around and go home, but right before you did you realized that you had already passed your stopping point, passed the test " Sometimes God has to give us that extra push, so that we don't turn back to our old ways, and out of shape habits. Just keep running with Him. Keep running with Him when you can't see the end because He is the author and finisher-He knows every twist and turn you are about to face. He knows when you want to give up and throw in the towel, but He also knows how to push you past your stopping point, so you pass tests you never thought possible.
Keep running with God when you can't see the end!
Keep running with God when you are working extra hours for less than extra pay. He's getting you in shape for that promotion. Keep running with God when you lose a friendship or relationship. Keep running with God when your child claims he/she hates you because you have to chastise him/her. That chastisement may be the very thing that keeps them out of jail or in an early grave. Keep running with God.. Keep running with God when you are doing something totally different than what that degree you worked so hard for says you should be doing-God is going to use what you are doing now to get you in shape for what He has planned for you later. I mentioned starting this run without food/nourishment, big mistake, we need food to keep us going. Let your food be the word of God. Allow God's word to fill you up. Let it speak life into dry situations, so you no longer thirst. Let it be your energy drink or energy bar you need for life's journey. It's time to get in shape! Not only is it time to get in shape, but it's time to make a commitment to run with God everyday and not just when we feel like it. It's not going to get easier if we keep putting it off. I'm not saying that you'll be able to run a marathon within a weeks time, but the more we run with God the easier the trail gets, the better our breathing becomes, the side cramp goes away, and we can run the trail three or four times without a problem. He's got to get you us in shape! The getting in shape process is difficult but well worth it. You must start eating right-the word of God. You must start praying harder-more prayer more power....You've got to make it a daily commitment. It may hurt at first, but it will be better in the end. Finally, you've got to see the end even if you don't see it. That is what we know as faith. We will never get anywhere with God if we don't have faith and realize that although we can't see the end it's there. Visualize your walk with God and allow yourself to see the finish line because then it wont matter how unfamiliar the trail you will be able to rest in the knowledge that God is with you and will see you through. He will push you forward to the end which you cannot see even when you are dying to turn back. Keep running with God....We must also remember that on our trail there will be some walkers, bikers, faster and slower runners, but we can't imitate them. Every one's walk with God is not the same, some people are in different places in their process of getting in shape. If you have to start off walking that is fine, but eventually you will find yourself running with some of the faster runners if you continue to allow God to get you in shape. Keep running with Him!! Be Blessed, M