Some thoughts on faith and running
So I know that a lot of my more recent posts have focused on my running and my faith coinciding. I think part of it is that there is time to think when I am running (I have to do something to distract myself from the fact that I'm running!), and part of it is that there are so many comparisons to be made. Maybe that's why Paul used that example so much.
At any rate, here are 2 lessons that I have learned this week...
1. Just do it:
Monday I really didn't want to run, but I hadn't run all weekend, and I knew I needed to get a decent run in. So I decided to do 6 miles. But deciding it and doing it are 2 different battles. I decide to run all the time - and change my mind, or decide to do it later instead. But Monday, I was not going to let myself get away with that. So I finally made it to the treadmill, and the first 2.5 miles were not fun. I felt tight and not good, I kept changing my mind about how far I was going to run because honestly, I just was not feeling it. But then I got past 2.5 miles, and my legs had loosened up, and it started feeling so much better. Oh it was still running, and I am simply not a person who really enjoys running - especially on the treadmill. But as far as treadmill runs go, it started to feel good, and I was able to finish my 6 miles...
And as I did that run, I found myself thinking how this is like the disciplines of the faith - especially reading the Bible. I admit that reading the Bible is an area I struggle with. Reading is not my learning style, and I have hard time focusing. But there is so much I could learn if I would do it anyway. And like running, in doing it, I will build the ability to focus and learn to appreciate the practice, even if it never becomes my favorite thing to do. And like running builds physical strength, I could gain a lot spiritually from reading the Bible more consistently. I know it. I just need to do it whether I feel like it or not.
2. Change is good:
Today I also was dreading my run. Again, I was headed to the treadmill. And since I have been on the treadmill 2-3 times a week all month, I think a good bit of my motivation problem is that I am, quite simply, tired of the treadmill. And the first 3 miles were not good. But then I decided to switch it up, and see if I could run the last mile faster than I have ever done before. So I set the pace to an 8:27 mile (I typically run around a 9:15-9:30). Just to see if I could. And guess what? I did it! Actually a little more than a mile. Now there's no way that I could sustain that pace for more than a mile and half, maybe 2 miles, but I ran a mile at that pace.
Sometimes in our faith life, things seem stale. We don't want to read the Bible/go to church/pray/etc. because it all feels the same as the last time we did it. (caveat here: for some people that routine is amazing - I am not at all a routine person. I start to feel trapped when I feel like there is too much routine in my life - it's a big part of why I hated being a preschool teacher and love being a youth pastor). And when we get in those places where our faith seems stagnant- we need to find ways to push ourselves and try new things. Try a prayer walk (or run). Go on a retreat. Go on a mission trip. Have coffee with a friend that you can have a real conversation with about faith. Journal. Start a blog. There are so many possibilities that if I listed them all, no one would read it. But try something new. Change is what keeps life fresh. Oh it can be hard and there are times that we all wish things wouldn't change. But at the same time, without it, life would be pretty boring. Plus change is the only way we grow. If all we ever do is what we've always done, what is there to learn? How do we grow? We have to try new things. We have to push ourselves to do things we maybe didn't even think were possible. I never thought I could run an 8:27 mile. But I did. What could you do if only you tried?
And those are my thoughts on faith and running - for tonight at least :)
At any rate, here are 2 lessons that I have learned this week...
1. Just do it:
Monday I really didn't want to run, but I hadn't run all weekend, and I knew I needed to get a decent run in. So I decided to do 6 miles. But deciding it and doing it are 2 different battles. I decide to run all the time - and change my mind, or decide to do it later instead. But Monday, I was not going to let myself get away with that. So I finally made it to the treadmill, and the first 2.5 miles were not fun. I felt tight and not good, I kept changing my mind about how far I was going to run because honestly, I just was not feeling it. But then I got past 2.5 miles, and my legs had loosened up, and it started feeling so much better. Oh it was still running, and I am simply not a person who really enjoys running - especially on the treadmill. But as far as treadmill runs go, it started to feel good, and I was able to finish my 6 miles...
And as I did that run, I found myself thinking how this is like the disciplines of the faith - especially reading the Bible. I admit that reading the Bible is an area I struggle with. Reading is not my learning style, and I have hard time focusing. But there is so much I could learn if I would do it anyway. And like running, in doing it, I will build the ability to focus and learn to appreciate the practice, even if it never becomes my favorite thing to do. And like running builds physical strength, I could gain a lot spiritually from reading the Bible more consistently. I know it. I just need to do it whether I feel like it or not.
2. Change is good:
Today I also was dreading my run. Again, I was headed to the treadmill. And since I have been on the treadmill 2-3 times a week all month, I think a good bit of my motivation problem is that I am, quite simply, tired of the treadmill. And the first 3 miles were not good. But then I decided to switch it up, and see if I could run the last mile faster than I have ever done before. So I set the pace to an 8:27 mile (I typically run around a 9:15-9:30). Just to see if I could. And guess what? I did it! Actually a little more than a mile. Now there's no way that I could sustain that pace for more than a mile and half, maybe 2 miles, but I ran a mile at that pace.
Sometimes in our faith life, things seem stale. We don't want to read the Bible/go to church/pray/etc. because it all feels the same as the last time we did it. (caveat here: for some people that routine is amazing - I am not at all a routine person. I start to feel trapped when I feel like there is too much routine in my life - it's a big part of why I hated being a preschool teacher and love being a youth pastor). And when we get in those places where our faith seems stagnant- we need to find ways to push ourselves and try new things. Try a prayer walk (or run). Go on a retreat. Go on a mission trip. Have coffee with a friend that you can have a real conversation with about faith. Journal. Start a blog. There are so many possibilities that if I listed them all, no one would read it. But try something new. Change is what keeps life fresh. Oh it can be hard and there are times that we all wish things wouldn't change. But at the same time, without it, life would be pretty boring. Plus change is the only way we grow. If all we ever do is what we've always done, what is there to learn? How do we grow? We have to try new things. We have to push ourselves to do things we maybe didn't even think were possible. I never thought I could run an 8:27 mile. But I did. What could you do if only you tried?
And those are my thoughts on faith and running - for tonight at least :)
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