Growing

It was 78 degrees when I started running at 7:30am, and when I finished 1 hour, 51 minutes and 42 seconds later, it was at least 86 degrees and climbing quickly, and of course it felt hotter than that after being in the bright sun for so long.  I was drenched, if you hadn’t guessed (and I’m sure you wanted to know), but after running 19.02km (11.8 miles) at a pace of 5:53 per kilometer (xxx per mile), I felt very satisfied.

I don’t say these things to boast about my praiseworthy accomplishments (for some people, a 5:53 pace is soooo slooooowwww), though I am glad I had a good run this morning.  Rather, more than being proud, I am amazed at how far I have come since my very first run in October, 2007, when a mile and a half loop around our neighborhood took me 25 minutes.  At that point, I never imagined that I’d one day voluntarily go out and run 19km, for the fun of it (and it was fun!).  And when I ran a 6.78km (4.2mi) race at all-out effort on January 11, 2009, ending with 5:50/km splits (xxx/mi), I never thought I’d end up running 19km at nearly the same pace, at a relaxed effort.

I can’t help but think how far God has brought me in this running adventure, and how much I have grown in my skill and desire to do well as a triathlete (wow, that still sounds kinda funny to say).  And I have to think that we as Christians should grow this way in every area of our lives.  Just as I am growing in physical skill, am I growing in social “skill” of treating others in a Christlike way?  Am I growing in generosity?  Am I growing closer to knowing Jesus?  The list is endless.  And while the results of these kinds of growth are less objective or clear than distances and paces of runs, they still deserve our thought and reflection.

I thought this morning also of what many gifts running and training for triathlon have been and brought to me, the gift of health and a way to manage stress, the gift of a bicycle, the gift of play and fun and friends, the gift of spending time in creation, all gifts from God.  I’m not saying every run is pleasure beyond measure – believe me, there is often pain involved!  But when God wants us to grow, there is pain and also blessing along the way.

“Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith…” — Hebrews 12:1-2

“we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ” — Ephesians 4:15