1 mile

Thanks to C25k, I ran a mile today without stopping. Hopefully, soon I will be able to run 3 miles without stopping. 3 months ago I couldn't run to the stop sign on my street. 3 months ago I was dying after running only 60 seconds. Today, I ran 10:49 and cold have kept going. I will not lie, it was a slow mile, but I didn't stop and that's all that matters to me.

This has gotten me thinking about life. Paul was dead on when he described life as running a race. Running takes perseverance, something I sometimes lack. Life takes perseverance, you have to push through all of the bad days, hang ups, and baggage to get to the good parts. You have to trust God to sustain you. In running, you also have to trust God, but even more simply you have to trust your body to keep going. There are so many parallels that I could fill up a long blog with them.

I think God has been using my running to teach me perseverance. It's been a rough 6 months and I've had a hard time just pushing through. I keep wondering what God has been teaching me, but I think I'm catching on. I need to trust God to sustain me in the tough times, just like I have to trust that my body will allow me to run. I have to rely on Him instead of trying to do everything by myself. I have to keep pushing through this rut and persevere.

Romans 5:3-5 "Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."

Hebrews 12:1 "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."

On a somewhat related note, this rut really does seem to be lifting. I got prayer at the last clear vision and it was so helpful. I had asked God to send someone to pray for me that I trusted and that was unbiased. He answered. I was able to let go of some of the hurt I have been holding onto and allow God to deal with it rather than me trying and trying. Things are looking up :)

On an unrelated note, I found a summer job. I am sooo excited about it. I am working at Food Finders Food Bank as the Program Coordinator for their summer food service program. My job is to run a program that gives lunch to kids who might otherwise go hungry. I LOVE it!