This past Sunday, I ran in the Delaware Mud Run. It was a lot of fun and very dirty. My husband signed me up for it back in August without even telling me. When he did, my first thought was, “Okay, I can’t even run a mile, much less a 5K with a bunch of obstacles in the mud!” After a little bit of complaining and talk of concern about my well being, I conceded. I thought to myself, “If I’m going to do this, I want to do it right. I’ve gotta get running.” And that’s what I’ve been doing for the last month.
All I can tell you is that the preparation paid off! I thoroughly enjoy the whole muddy experience. What made it even better was that I was running the race with friends. It’s no surprise to me that Paul likens preparation for a race with spiritual training and endurance. He says in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27:
Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified. (emphasis mine)
“So I run with purpose in every step.”
Think about it. I’m supposed to be running with purpose in every step.
Like running for a race, what I put on matters. I wear clothes that will not hinder me. I put on running shoes that help support my foot on the road. I don’t load up on pizza before I set out. I drink lots of water. I get myself ready to run.
In several scripture passages, Paul talks about casting off whatever slows us down. Running fully abandoned to God…running on purpose. Hebrews 12:1 says,
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.
The other morning, just several days before the Mud Run, I experienced a profound illustration of “casting off every weight.”
The kids were off to school and I set out for my run. As I stepped onto the sidewalk, I felt like there might be something in my shoe. I shook my foot and felt as though I had fixed the problem. (However, if there were really something in there, shaking my foot wasn’t going to fix anything.) In a hurry, I dismissed the thought and started my run.
Only several yards from my front door, I began to feel the little object in my shoe again. “Okay, so the foot shaking didn’t take care of it.” So, what did I do? I shook it again. The object repositioned and I continued on my way. There were moments when I didn’t notice the tiny object. It wasn’t bothering me. I guess that was why I didn’t stop there on the street and just take off my shoe and take care of it for good. Over and over the object would shift and my focus would be drawn back to the annoying feeling once again. I kept telling myself it was no big deal. I felt like I could just suck it up and ignore it. But I didn’t. My whole run ended up being about whether or not I could feel the annoying object in my shoe.
When I returned home, I was a little disappointed. I had been focusing so much on what was in my shoe and how annoying it was that I didn’t enjoy really anything I normally do – the sun rising in the sky, the beautiful fall weather, the birds, creation. I didn’t even focus on pushing myself to a new goal or anything. It was all about trying to forget the object in my shoe. I headed upstairs, I kicked off my shoes and made a beeline for the shower without stopping to investigate.
The next morning, I picked up my shoes and started to put them on. When I slipped my foot into my sneaker there it was again! “Oh no, not this time!” I pulled my shoe off and shook it until a tiny pebble fell out onto the floor. I picked it up and examined it…
“This was it? The culprit? This almost invisible little pebble?” So tiny and yet it caused me so much grief!
Thinking about how small this pebble was in scale to my body, I was amazed at it’s power to get me flustered.
And considering all of the lessons God’s been speaking to my heart about training to run, running to receive an eternal crown, and casting aside all of the distractions that keep my eyes from my goal, this little pebble brought into focus something truly profound…
I often tolerate the tiny distractions (sins) in life that hinder me in the race.
“The sins that so easily beset (def. surround and harass) me” as Paul said. The pebble helped me to see just how distracting “little sins” can be. It’s a big deal when you’re trying to run! It steals your joy, your focus.
The question I had to ask my self is why did I wait so long to get rid of the pebble?
Is there a pebble in your shoe? Are you trying to ignore it? Forget about it? Hope it will go away on it’s own? What have you been missing in this race because your focus has been continually on the pebble in your shoe?
Here’s the remedy…
Get rid of the pebble.
Cast off EVERY (big and small) weight that hinders your pace. Then you can truly run to receive the prize.
Even though the Mud Run is over, I will continue to run. I enjoy it. And as I run, I will be continually reminded that I’m in a race for an eternal prize and I want to run with “purpose in every step.” How about you?
Nana - Great!
Stefanie - So proud of you Tammy! Team Lifehouse was amazing at the mud run! I def want to ‘run with a purpose’ next year!