dailydatewithgod

I have never been much of a fan of running.  I know that those who are runners rave about it yet they often look so unhappy while they are actually running, but maybe that is because the endorphins have not yet kicked in.  So at the risk of sounding like a cliché’ I felt this analogy come to me this morning.  That life is like a marathon.  I requires endurance.  A life of faith requires endurance.  An ability to go the long haul, that requires training and preparation.  Support along the way is crucial and that includes water and a cheering squad to encourage you to go on and further than what you think your body can do.  I admire those who run marathons or do an a triathlon.  Maybe one day I will challenge my body in that way, for now I will just make sure my spirit and my mind keep up the endurance.  Life is not a sprint.  A sprint will only take you so far and besides there is not as much good scenery.  So often I think I want a quick fix to something. Whether it is an uncomfortable moment in a relationship conversation, experience at work, or physical pain.  I want it done.  Especially when it comes to pain.  I believe that pain is the great equalizer.  It leaves out no one.  But learning to endure the pain (not to torture oneself) is important.  We need to endure long enough to learn the lesson and grow.  I often think of the physical growing pains that kids experience.  If a kid resisted that, they would never grow to their full height or develop adult bodies and as much as we often think it would be more fun to be kids again–as a society we don’t take kids or kid-like people very seriously.  We value and listen to maturity or at least what presents itself as maturity.  Still we want the quick fix.  True maturity of spirit and mind requires an endurance of pain.  We see what we are made of when we ride the wave all the way through.  When we don’t jump ship the moment the waves get rough.  We need God to endure, that is why life requires faith.  If I didn’t truly believe that God was there with me every step of the way, often providing me with a strength that I did not know that I possessed, I would jump ship every time or opt for the sprint versus the marathon. I want to experience life to the fullest and I realize that even wanting that is a gift in and of itself.  However, wanting and doing are two totally different things.  I must look at my actions.  How often do I stick with something even when it seems like I cannot go on?  Do I look for support from others?  Is my cheering squad in place so that when I am reaching that mile marker that I don’t think I can reach, they chant my name?  Do I turn to God and ask for support when my own resources have been exhausted or even before they have been exhausted?  Can I  get past the pain long enough to reap the rewards? Even in the story of Jesus, he endured such suffering but it led to new life.  I want to be transformed and for today I have the courage to endure what comes with that because I know from experience that when I endure I am drawn closer to God, to myself, and to everyone around me?  What can you endure today with God’s help?  My prayer for you today is that you may experience the gift of endurance through pain in some small way so that you can see the power of God in your life and your being.  Make it a great one!  Peace~Colleen

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