The marathon

I will be honest, today was a difficult day for me. Nothing really out of the ordinary but for some reason I just felt like I couldn't breathe. I felt smothered by my kids, unfortunately not with hugs and kisses. But rather with whining and busy bodies that were into everything they shouldn't be. Don't get me wrong, I love my kids dearly, but today I needed a break.

Running is always a good outlet for me. I love running with someone, it is a great time for conversation without interruptions. To be able to focus on just that person. I also like running by myself though. I find that when I run by myself that is when I have my best chance to focus on talking with God. I find that when I run, I can stop and listen to Him.

Lately I find myself asking God, "Am I fulfilling my purpose? Am I pleasing You? Am I doing enough?"

My mind seemed to go blank for a few minutes after asking this question....

Then, it came to me...It isn't a sprint it is a marathon.

I remember hearing something like that before.

But it made perfect sense for me now. I keep praying and asking God if I am making Him happy, doing everything He wants me to do. But He is telling me to slow down...it isn't a sprint, it is a marathon. A test of your endurance. It is a journey. As I was running, it was getting harder but I just kept telling myself I wasn't going to stop. How would we ever be able to conquer trials if we didn't have the endurance to press on. No one says it is easy, but you have to keep going. So I did. My family was riding their bikes WAY behind me so as I was waiting for them to catch up, I started to walk back towards them, but then stopped realizing I needed to keep moving forward. So I started running again down the trails and cul-de-sacs so they could catch up with me. That is when it hit me, you will go through many obstacles, some that will take you in circles. Some that will make you want to run backwards. Some that will have you trying to catch your breathe.

As I was running on the soft trail, I keep thinking, "Well this is hard!"

So I ask you, would you rather run on shifting sand, like the world that is constantly changing? Or on a solid concrete path, like God that is always constant?

Trust God. His timing is perfect.