I Run: Lesson Two

So, tonight I went running in the mist. Mist is deceiving. It didn't look like it would be hard, but after the first lap around the neighborhood, my lungs and my clothing were beginning to feel the weight of the water that was accumulating. Hmmm...I could do a whole blog on just these spiritual implications, but this was not what God spoke this evening. You see, this was a hard run. Not only was I really feeling the precipitation, but it seemed like my stomach, body, clothing--everything in general--was just heavier tonight. Ever have those days, when life is just heavier--for no particular reason--just heavier? Anyway, I knew I was capable of doing two laps around my neighborhood--2.8 miles, about 8 iPod songs, approximately 30-35 minutes. But tonight, I just wasn't feeling it. I was feeling heavy, and I REALLY wanted to give up.

Lesson Two: Listen to and obey the still small voice of the Lord. Don't second guess, don't make excuses, don't give up, like Nike says--Just do it.

Somewhere in the middle of song eight, as my breathing became labored, my vision a little blurry, I was thinking, 'This is it. My body is telling me to stop. I need to be wise and not push myself so hard.' That's when I heard the voice, "Keep going through song 9. I will get you through song 9." What! I wasn't even to the end of song 8 yet! I mean, I was hurting, out of breath, making the turn to go up a long, gradual slope. No way! I was delusional, I needed to stop before Joey had to get in the car and come find me passed out on the side of the road in the dark in the mist. But no, the voice was firm, "You can make it through song 9. Don't stop."

So I didn't stop. I fought the cramp creeping into my side. I slowed my pace, controlled my breathing, and gritted my teeth. I wasn't finished with song 8 yet, and the uphill slope still lay ahead. Song 9 came on--"Romans" by Jennifer Knapp. I couldn't believe it. Not only was this song only about 3 minutes long instead of the average 4 minutes, but it has a slower, slightly perky beat with an upbeat, understated message about God being in control. First lines of the song: "Just when I think I got it / It's gone. When I think I know the answer / And I dare to raise my hand / it's gone." How fitting.

I mean after almost eight weeks of running, I guess I was starting to feel like I had this whole running thing down pat. I little pride probably did begin to sink in. All it took was a little mist to bring me to my breaking point. The good news--all it took was a little obedience to get me right back into the game. Humbled back right where I need to be, and in awe of a God that once again cares about the songs on my iPod.

I'm telling you, the moment that song 9 began to play, my whole body responded differently. I felt myself catch my breath, no longer winded. I felt a spring in my step, no longer heavy and labored. I almost felt like I could run forever as I rounded the crest of my uphill slope and kept going...because even though the top of that hill was my goal, God had said He would get me through song 9. I would be a fool not to follow through at this point.

The moral of this story? When God speaks, you must obey. It wasn't easy, and it really wasn't what I wanted to do at all in the moment He spoke. I mean, I still had to run two more minutes of song 8 before song 9 even began to play. Sometimes God gives us a word from Him right in the middle of something really hard in our lives. It seems like the most inopportune time for Him to be giving you instructions. Maybe you're thinking, 'There's no way I can handle one more responsibility, one more thing on my to-do list.' I'm just hear to say, at that point, you have two choices. Obey or disobey. Keep going, buckle down, and grit out your current circumstances until song 9 begins to play, then when it does, keep going still. Or...disobey. Stop running, don't meet your potential, don't give God a chance to come through for you, and most likely you'll be right back where you started when you first started running--sore, aching, out of breath. Only now, you feel like a failure, AND you missed out on seeing God work in your life. When put like that, the hardship of obeying sounds a lot easier, actually, at least in the long run.

Plus, just look what I got to experience once song 9 started! A fresh wind, renewed strength, joy in my step, and the experience of running farther than I had run before. I ended up having nothing to lose--like consciousness, like I originally thought---and gained so much more, like energy and a humbleness in the provision of my God. I gained trust in my Lord, a childlike faith that He will provide for my needs, but I must obey. The other choice just really isn't much of one at all.

The challenge: Identify the small voice in your life. What is God telling you to do? In what area(s) is He requiring obedience? Choose to obey, then let me know what good God brings about in your life, even if it's only something small. Any good is better than the consequences of disobedience. "Trust and obey / there is no other way / to be happy in Jesus / but to trust and obey."