When I started running 2ish years ago I didn't realize how many things running could teach me besides why exercise matters.
What I did not realize, however, was how many life lessons running would (and continues) to teach me.
Patience.
Let's start off with where I need the most help shall we friends?
One of the virtues I most often suck at and constantly need more practice. Patience leads to self-awareness, discipline, and more refined character...again all things I need more of. I have learned to be patient with myself in pacing, not getting the time I want in a race, and not screaming at the person driving in front of me not using his turn signal.
Being patient with myself and others reminds me, to slow down and not get bent out of shape by life.
You can do hard things.
This is my anthem, my battle cry in life right now.
Never say never because you can do the hard stuff.
Sometimes the only thing holding you back is your mind.
This is especially true for running; how much impact the mind has on the body's ability to perform. There is a point where you hit a wall, and the only thing that gets you across the finish line is positive self-talk and willing your mind to get it done.
Negative self-talk in any form will kill you. The power of lies we often so easily tell ourselves does more damage than we realize sometimes.
The messages we tell ourselves are crazy powerful. Sometimes really the only thing holding you back is your mind. Believe it can happen and it just might.
Prepare, but go with the flow.
Prepare, work hard, do the best you can with what you have, and then go with the flow whatever happens.
If we put in our time and prepare well, we need to find comfort in the fact that we've done our best. Then let it go. #serenitynow
Suffering makes you stronger.
True in every sense, in every life situation. Insert Kelly Clarkson singing here.
The hardest, most difficult things in life have the potential to be life changing lessons. And when that happens, you are stronger and more resilient.
Kelly Clarkson really was right, what doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
Growing up I loved strong female characters in books and movies. I would play dress up as Laura Ingalls Wilder or pretend to be a great writer like Jo March. I loved seeing different ways women do bold, beautiful, and courageous things with their lives and for other people.
It left me inspired and dreaming big dreams for myself.
I find myself thinking a lot about Esther over the past few days (and yes especially since the election).
One of my favorite women from the Bible is Esther. Finding herself a young queen amid the crisis that her people were facing annihilation, her place and time in history were delicately planned by God. And the same with each of us.
For such a time as this...
For such a time as this were you and I created.
The times we live in are more like the times the early Christians lived in. By that I mean, to call yourself a follower of Jesus Christ in this world today demands a radical boldness the early Church survived on.
You are where you are for such a time as this. Not to gain anything, but to risk everything.
Our world desperately needs an Esther Generation. Our world is crying for justice, mercy, and healing. Queen Esther saved her people because she was bold and took a risk in faith. She trusted that God wanted to use her life for a purpose greater than she imagined.
What does it look like to trust that God wants to use my life like Queen Esther?
For such a time as this...to speak out against attitudes that demean the dignity and respect of women.
For such a time as this...to break down barriers of racism, hate, and class privilege.
For such a time as this...to fight against crimes where women and children are abused and trafficked.
For such a time as this...to break down denominational and ideological barriers that divide us.
For such a time as this...to show more love and less judgement.
For such a time as this...to make the world a little less cold through acts of mercy.
For such a time as this...to listen, welcome, and respect the "other".
For such a time as this...to speak honestly about the addictions that destroy lives and families.
The more I learn about myself, heal, and live on this planet the more I see how much more meaningful my life is when I give it away. And like Esther, I want to use the life I've been given to give others life. Is this what Jesus meant when He said, "What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his life?"
Yes I think that is exactly what He meant. A life of meaning is a life poured out in love, service, justice, and compassion. Life has purpose when it is given away.
Right now in our country, many people are scared, angry, or confused. People are trying to make sense of many senseless things in the world we live in.
What would it look like for each of us to be Esther in the lives God has given us?
What does it look like to be an Esther Generation if you're single, married, a mom, writer, speaker, teacher, librarian, dancer, bank teller?
Our country, our world is aching for more Esther's. I know I am not there yet. But I want my life to be bold and brave like Queen Esther...even if I have to spend my whole life trying.
So what would it look like for God to use your life like He did with Esther?
...Yes even amid all the crazy making that will be known as the 2016 election.
Can I tell you something?
I used to royally suck at being graceful. Like. A lot.
No I am not talking like ballroom dancing graceful.
But the kind of graceful that seeks to be genuinely kind and loving to people I may not agree with.
I used to have a much harsher, more judgmental view of the world, especially other people, and even more myself. I had a hard heart in a lot of ways. And I have had to repent and ask forgiveness for ways I had truly hurt people out of ignorance.
One of the things that has most grown and matured me over the last few years is surrounding myself with people, books, ideas, perspectives that I may not necessarily agree with.
I love wrestling with ideas, words, and trying to understand it all through a Kingdom perspective. As a result, I am much more aware of my own weaknesses and prejudices. Words like mercy, dialogue, compassion, and listening mean so much more to me now.
I am learning to have and wrestle with difficult conversations with a more tender, pastoral heart. I am much quicker to see the freaking plank in my life before pointing out everyone else's splinters. I want to really listen to you vs. just getting in my two cents first and last. I would rather accompany you than judge you.
Trust me, if there was an Olympic medal for judging I could have taken the gold.
How much different would things look like in this world if we allowed those who disagree with us help make us a more loving, kind person?
I don't mean in this a "You're okay, I'm okay" Pollyanna BS kinda way. I mean to sincerely look at this particular person and ask, "What can he/she teach me in this moment? How can I love the Christ in this person right now?"
Sure its great to love the people we like. But Jesus said what matters even more is to love those who hate us, to love those we particularly don't like or maybe ourselves do hate.
When we meet Jesus Christ for Final Judgment someday, He isn't going to ask us about our politics, theology, denomination preference, tithing history, whether you're gay or straight.
I think what will matter most is how well did we love God and love others. The loving God thing I think I'm doing a fair-ish job at. Its just all God's people, that's what trips me up.
There are so many authors and thinkers from a variety of political and spiritual traditions that have shaped me in new ways. Honestly we will probably never meet. And if we ever talked heavy religion or politics at a dinner party, it would be pretty lively I am sure.
But I am grateful for each of you, because in different ways you are helping me to become a little more like Jesus.
So thanks...
Glennon Doyle Melton
Andrew Marin
Brian McLaren
Nadia Bolz Weber
Richard Rohr
Rachel Held Evans
And at the end of the day isn't it about becoming more Christ-like, whether or not we agree with each other on everything?
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