Friday, April 30, 2010

Race day approaching!

So I have vaguely eluded to the fact that I've taken up a regular exercise regimen here before, but I haven't really gotten into the details, cuz lets face it, if you wanted to read an exercise blog, you probably wouldn't be reading mine with such items as "Brown butter plum tart" and "Spreads"...

However I am planning on completing my first ever half-marathon this Sunday, and I'm really excited... I actually don't feel any of the dread that I should!


I was just telling my mom the other day how amazing it is that I even want to attempt running... I mean, I'm an adult! There's no scary PE teacher screaming at me to get going any more! I have rights now... When I was a kid there was no better way to torture or punish me. I saw kids that voluntarily signed up for cross country and I thought there was something wrong with them! But by some miracle I came to the conclusion that running would be a good idea for me.

(She is amazing! Look how much clearance she has!, does anyone think this is real??)

Then an interesting conversation ensued with my mom about the misconceptions we grow up with and often never get over even as adults, until we're forced to stare them down by circumstances that are unavoidable, ever had one of those?
I had a huge misconception about running. I labeled it as impossible, too hard for my stubby round body, torture.

Then I told my mom about a recent victory I'd had over a long-time misconception of mine...

My whole life I had looked at this one hill near my house (I still live in the house I was born in) and marveled at people running up it. I had thought to myself, "why would anyone do that, that is the hill of death."
Well sometime after I had started running, I needed to get to a location that was really close, but the only way to get there was up the "hill of death!" I put it of for weeks, telling myself it was just too hard for me. Finally, one day I decided to kick myself in the pants, and I gave myself a whole hour to complete "the hill" and amazingly enough I arrived 40 min. early.
It's amazing how crippling our misconceptions are! I've wasted so many years of my life investing in lies! How sad!

( I could be totally wrong, but I think this photo is a lie... how bout you??)

Now, this is no power of positive thinking pep talk, it's a reality check! We are fearfully and wonderfully made, and if we do like David and preach to our souls a little, I think there is a lot we can overcome that sadly has been overcoming us!

Today I got my number for my race bib, and because I'm so spiritual and love to over-spiritualize everything, I googled to see if there was a bible verse with my numbers, and no there isn't, it's too high of a number, so I immediately turned to Strong's... cuz not only am I super spiritual, I try and be super smart... I'm so kidding guys, you know me well enough, right??
Ok so I looked up both the Hebrew for 3681 and the Greek and check it out...

In the Greek it's reproach, that's a fun word! Where is this heading?? But as I read the verse it began to illuminate something for me!

Luke 1:25- "The Lord has done this for me," she said. "In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace (reproach) among the people."

WOW! This one really spoke to me! I feel like God has really used my training in running to be a part of the process of Him removing my reproach or disgrace. Before I learned to beat my body into submission (1st. Cor. 9:27,) there was a huge part of me that has felt like a disgrace, I felt defeated by my lack of discipline and disgusted by my lack of self control! I'm praising God for this verse that He is dealing with me graciously and removing my disgrace by retraining me to be a more disciplined and self-controlled woman...

Next in the Strong's Hebrew is the word "covering" the uses of the word is kinda funny... I think they are talking about using the skins of sea cows to cover parts of the tabernacle... haha, sea cows!

But immediately I felt the Lord encouraging me that He will be my covering in this race, and when I get tired or feel like giving up, I'm gonna encourage my self with this, that He's got me covered!

So wish me.... luck?... blessings... I dunno... Wait I do! Pray for me, I'm gonna need it!

-Your Old Time bestie...

1 comment:

  1. yeaaaaa you did it. good for you and God. Knowing you as I do I am so amazed at the deep spiritual issues that you are working through with this journey you have been on. It is wonderful to watch and learn. Keep up the good work.

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