I am one of those people that gets a particular idea in her head and it snowballs from there.
One track mind, so to speak. I wanna keep at something until it's finished. I'm really bad at being able to stop and start something back up again, I usually need to just keep plowing through and finish.
There's advantages to this. And there's some disadvantages. Big ones.
The biggest is that it tends to consume my thoughts, almost to the point where it causes me to ignore other things. It also means I can get easily burnt out.
I end up running ahead of God most of the time. He places part of His plan in front of me...a very tiny portion, and then I'm off and running...too fast.
Pace yourself, my child...pace yourself.
It's what I hear Him whispering, over and over again. He knows how long the journey is, and it's not a sprint.
I'm beginning week two of half marathon training. The distance is still easy, it's the consistency right now that is more of a shock to my system. I've been running now for two years. I am completely content never running more than 4 miles at one time. Completely.
When the seed of the half marathon idea was first planted, I scoffed. Why would I run THAT far?!? WHY? But inside, I knew I was supposed to do it.
Training is so much more mental for me than it is physical. Granted, my body is going to be in some serious pain, I'm sure...but to get to that pain, I first have to believe that I can get it done.
It requires me to pace myself. The physical training is so closely related to my spiritual growth right now...He's showing me, in a very tangible way, what pacing myself looks like.
I wish it didn't require a 13.1 mile race and 16 weeks of training for me to get that...but some of us have to learn the hard and painful way ;)
PS - I cannot say enough great stuff about Beth Moore's study Living Beyond Yourself. If anyone reading this happens to know me in real life and is interested in jumping in, it's not too late! We meet every other Tuesday night from 6:30-8:30. Drop me an email with any questions.
- Sarah@Life in the Parsonage
- Wife to Ben, who also happens to be the Pastor of a sweet little church in a tiny little town. Mama to three boys and little Lucy. We live in the parsonage, 27 steps from said little church. This is the journey...it involves lots of run-on sentences.
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The Fringe Hours
I admire your stamina - mental & physical. Good luck with the training. I did just ONE mile the other night and I thought I was going to die. :)
ReplyDeleteOur ladies group is starting LBS in March. I've done it before but I'm really excited to go through it again!
Sarah,
ReplyDeleteYou are such a blessing to both your bloggy and face to face friends! You go, at Gods pace, girl!
I wish I liked to run...
ReplyDeleteI have done Living by the Spirit twice now and I can never get enough. It's so good!
Good luck to you. I am very different from you in this catagory. I multi-task to the extreme which usually cause me to have an enormous amount of unfinished business. I would consider walking a marathon...or a 1/2 but, run, hmmmm, not yet, probably never.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, lady. It made me think of how I do this spiritually. I think I have to perfect my faith during one study or one day or one moment and I get all frustrated with myself for not "completing." I forget that I'll never be complete in this life and being so hard on myself keeps me stuck.
ReplyDeleteI LOVED the Living Beyond Yourself study.
Thanks for sharing. Many of us need to pace ourselves better.
ReplyDeleteLois
Oh, how I can relate! I'm always jumping ahead, plunging forward, then apologizing later!
ReplyDeleteI agree, training for a race is so "spiritual"! I'm sitting on my butt this morning instead of being at the gym. UGH. But, there's hope for the afternoon!
~Shane
Sarah,
ReplyDeleteI think it is so neat the way that God uses our physical and mental life xperiences to really get his spiritual truths into our hearts.
I'll be praying for you while you train. For the marathon as well as all of the things God is going to in your life.
I have done the Living Beyond Yourself study as well and loved it. I would join in with ya'll if I was there. :)
I have a real problem pacing myself too. Once I know there's something to do, I just want to get it done now...no matter what. So many times it's really God's will to wait or to wait on Him. That's the most difficult thing for me to do.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about Living Beyond Yourself. It's an amazing study! I think the best one I've done.
-FringeGirl
first of all, I love your hair! LOVE it!!! it fits you nicely.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great post!!! I'm a little bit of both. If it has to be finished I rush through it and if i'm doing something just for fun (like knit a scarf, scrapbook) I NEVER finish it!!!
can't wait to hear more about your bible study. And if I lived near you I'd SO be there!!!
i need to go back and find your twilight post... I finished the first book and have been meaning to go back and read your thoughts.
SO many great spiritual lessons and reminders from running. I trained for my first half marathon last year and was struck with some deepers thoughts as well. I trained first for a 10 mile race and then did the half 2 months later. I ran approx 3 times between the two races. I was able to finish the half which I was really happy with. But if I had trained consistently for the half like I did the 10 mile, I could have ran it well. (not breaking any records mind you but well for me)... so true in life, ya know? When hard times hit and the race is before me, I don't want to just survive. I want to finish the race well, because I trained daily by spending time with my Lord.
ReplyDeleteI want to run another half this May. And I need to start training NOW. Thanks for the motivation and inspiration. Wish I could join you in your Beth Moore study... her Bible studies are by far the best I have ever done. But the commute to tiny town from Annapolis, would be a bit far I am afraid. :)
I can't get past 3 miles...ugh! It's like some mental block...maybe hypmotism? haha! Good luck with the 1/2!!
ReplyDeleteYou go, girl. I ran 3 miles this morning and that's about my max right now. I'm doing a couple of 5Ks. I can't even imagine a half-marathon.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about it being a mental thing. Yes, your body is wigging out, but there are points when I have to force myself to slow down because I know I'll burn out before the 3 miles is up. And then, there are points toward the end that I kick it up a notch to improve my time.
Thinking of that in a spiritual way now ... hmmm ...
I totally relate to what you wrote about your jogging habits paralleling with your spirituality. I just wrote a blog about that the other day! :)
ReplyDeletehttp://lovenotesfrommysavior.blogspot.com/2009/01/people-never-crumble-in-day.html
Great insight, Sarah. I feel like I'm missing out now because I am so not a runner!!
ReplyDeleteSo proud of you, you can do this! Wow, running is something I have never really done but I see lots of people out there every day in all kinds of weather and admire the discipline and commitment!
ReplyDeleteI have the Living Beyond Yourself workbook and attempted it on my own, it's a TOUGH one and definitely better with a group lol Good luck with it!
Just popping in to say Hi~ I have heard great things about Beth Moore's Living Beyond Yourself: Exploring the Fruit Of The Spirit
ReplyDeleteI am not a runner but reading about you & other bloggers training for these long Marathons is extremely inspiring! I'll keep you in my prayers:)