I hate running.
Part of me keeps putting foot to pavement to prove myself wrong, and the other part is just wishing I could hold on for ten more minutes, ten more seconds! My body hurts, my lungs HURT! My legs hurt! Everything hurts, but its a strange desire to keep pressing on for some prize that others around me can't necessarily see. It's the innate desire to keep going even in the face of adversity. In my case adversity is every ache and pain caused by my own will to just run! So I just kept on runnin'... I can hear the words of Forrest Gump every time I walk out the door with my shoes laced up!
Run Krystle, run!
It's funny how spiritual it all is when you think about it. All the times when Paul talks about running the race, keeping persistent faith... running to attain a goal that most can't see with the naked eye.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1, 2 ESV)
Jesus RAN to the Cross if you will and many around him could not see the prize that he was running for. His eyes stayed steadfast on the joy set before him. At the end of the race he won the greatest prize ever. And I was ransomed, redeemed and forgiven! I can only with like-heart commit myself to life. To run the race with endurance, to set my eyes upon the Prize and pursue the faith! Though like my physical body desires to quit, my flesh desires the same.
Running is never easy, whether it's running for the gold medal in a race with all your friends, or running the race of faith when no one is looking. All that matters is that you keep your eyes on the Prize and keep pressing in to the goal at hand!
In the meantime I am okay with shortness of breath and a body that hurts! For though my pain is deep my heart is ALIVE!!!
