Let's Go For a Walk

Let's Go For a Walk

We need to have faith to jump, but we also need to jump to have faith.

When it comes to waiting, I’d rather not…the anticipation butterflies boil within me and the possibilities of what the future may soon hold consume my thoughts.  Tomorrow's chances becomes today’s reality and I am soon dissatisfied with my current position: now.  

Dreams.  Desires.  Passions.  Visions.  These topics flood my mind.  I dream of future realities which then fuel more and more dreams.  The desire to run away with them overwhelms me and quickly replaces the need to take the necessary steps to take off.  And every time, without fail, I find myself back where I started; dreaming of the run instead of learning how to walk.

Because, in order to run we need to first learn how to walk.  

It’s a little funny really, I dislike running with a passion.  My body aches, my muscles tighten and my lungs scream for more oxygen.  (I would blame the altitude, however, I have lived in the mountains for 3 years, and I should be well accustomed by now.)  I always give an excuse as to why running is not a good idea for me.  Athletically induced asthma (easy fix= get an inhaler and strengthen my lungs with cardio exercises).  Poor joints (actually go to the gym and strengthen).  It’s too cold, or rainy, or hot (seriously, this is Montana, layer up or shed them). 

But honestly, I just don’t want to put the work into getting better at it, and I really just like wearing the clothes.  Let’s be honest, the shoes are stylish and cushy, the jackets are phenomenal and make the perfect layer, and the shorts are so comfortable and light.  I even like the headbands.  I would much rather look and feel the part of being a runner than actually invest any time in becoming one.  

Now, there are plenty of other activities that I enjoy quite a lot that don’t involve running; walking, hiking, biking, roller blading (yes, it’s still cool to roller blade! I’m brining it back…) and bowling.  Don’t judge me on that last one.  Bowling is an excellent activity (have you tried lunging 80 times on one leg in a row? Yeah.) 

I digress.  

Now, I can get by health wise by not investing a whole lot of time in running. But I will never become a good runner if I don’t put in the time and energy it takes to succeed.  

I want the reward without the work.  I want to record and produce an album without actually going through the steps it takes to get there. I want to publish my book without taking hundreds of hours and grueling efforts to write it.  I want to race through the activities of life only to experience the good stuff and not the pains of it.  

I want to run before I walk.

I’ve never been that good at the training aspects of being an athlete.  I have completed four Tour D’kota’s (bicycle tour in South Dakota) that is over 400 miles in a week, but I never trained.  "Day 1 and 2 are training days”, I would always say (yes, I know, unwise young padawan).  But by day 3 I wasn’t sure if my body was capable of moving anymore.  Every muscle in my body ached.  And the most painful part of each day was sitting in the saddle for the first 15 minutes of the ride, and each time I sat down after that.  The last couple days, however, were fantastic.  My body was, finally, used to riding for long hours and I would be filled with an energy and joy of riding. But, there were times during those weeks where it was raining, cold, windy, I had been riding uphill for at least 10 miles straight…I was miserable…I would think “why do I continue to do these tours year after year?” or “this is horrible and probably the most uncomfortable, annoyed, miserable I have ever been.  Why am I here?” I would watch the support bus drive by with a longing and desire to hop on and end my misery.  But I would force myself to finish each day.  65 miles.  80 miles.  100 miles.  I would finished.  Because I knew that the more difficult each day got, the more feeling of achievement I would be rewarded.  

I look back on those times on the saddle that I thought I would keel over and give up but continued moving forward, with a smile.  Although I didn’t enjoy the pain of going through it necessarily, I learned the value of perseverance and endurance.  The meaning of true success…not being handed it, but working hard for it, through the pain and exhaustion.  

I value those time now.  Remembering that before we can achieve success (in everything: finances, physical, and sometimes emotional and spiritual), we may have to endure hardships and struggle.  But the rewards will be so much greater.  

James says this, “consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.  Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4)

Slow down.  Train.  Work hard. Persevere.  Don’t miss out on the journey.  Take a deep breath and a leap of faith.  The end result will be so much more rewarding, than if you take the short cut.  

Learn the necessary mechanics and steps it will take to run.  

So, let’s go for a walk, shall we??