Runner's Stitch

I'm sorry... I'm starting to get into writing again. When I lived overseas, I'd send an e-mail or two home each week to everyone on my mailing list letting them know how things were going. I got so much cool feedback from that... when I missed a normal posting, people would e-mail me to let me know they were hoping I'd hurry up and get it out... I loved that feedback. I love feedback in general.

I got to thinking about the excuses thing again. The other night, playing rugby for the first time in ages, as much as I enjoyed it, I was completely NOT ready to really work like that: running, hitting. I'm out of shape, and haven't hit in ages. So there were several times through the evening--primarily when we were running--that I started thinking: "I've been pretty lax with the working out lately... I think I can call it a night. No one will BLAME me!! They'll understand... then, next week, I'll be back and run harder." It was tempting, I got to tell you... I wanted to quit and go home for a while. It's HARD to run when you haven't for ages. But I knew it'd be over soon and I could push through.

I ran cross country in High School. I was no good at it; i only ran to be in shape for wrestling season (and I really wasn't any good at wrestling either... I knew all the moves, but I was skinny and weak). But I knew some of the in's and out's of running. At one meet, I came around a corner to find a guy walking, holding his side, obviously feeling the pain in the side we've all felt when we run hard. I slowed down and told him to keep running and it'd pass. He said wha...? So I told him again... It'll pass, just keep going!! A few minutes later, here comes this kid: he passed me and beat me--All cause I told him the pain would pass.

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about the excuses we make. I talked about how my excuses against relationships were weak but how so many of us use excuses like those with God. I've been thinking these last few days how so many of us are so desperate to be right with God. We start the journey, but too often, here comes that familiar pain in the side!! It starts to hurt a little... we start to be uncomfortable. And many of us convince ourselves that instead of running through, we need to "get used to it". So we quit and tell ourselves we'll start up another day. You know, as long as I ran, I still got those pains in the side from time to time.

And as long as I've been a Christian, it's gotten uncomfortable from time to time. 1st Corinthians 9 talks about running the race to win. That's how we should live! You want to win?? you don't quit at the first ache in the side.