5K's and Other Things I Hate

I hate running.  Detest it.  Loathe it.  Abhor it.  This picture sums up my opinion on the matter:

I am a fit person.  I'm at the gym 3-5 days a week.  I (quasi) watch what I eat.  Exercise doesn't bother me.

But I HATE running.  Up until this point in my life, the farthest I had run without stopping had been 1.5 miles.  And even then, I thought my life would end.

Now, I am very aware that some of you reading this post are chuckling with distain right about now because you could run a 5K for breakfast.  You're serious athletes.  Triathaloners, marathoners, iron men and women.  I get it.  I'm happy for you.  Losers.

So when a group of us decided to run a 5K in support of a friend's New Years' resolution, it promised to be more of a "walking/talking" social hour, NOT something that I actually cared about.

Until that dang whistle blew.

My thought process was as follows:  "This shouldn't be that hard.  I exercise.  I work out.  I should be able to run 3.2 miles with no problem.  Yes.  That's what I'm gonna do.  I'm gonna run the whole thing.  No walking.  Oh, look.  There's mile marker 1.  That was easy.  I can do that 2 more times.  Wait, we're running up hill?  How are there HILLS in Flower Mound?  Another hill?  In the name of all that is sacred, where is mile marker 2????  We should've passed it an hour ago!  Another hill?  I'm going to die.  Oh, there's mile marker 2.  Thanks for gracing us with your presence, jerk.  My, how I love all of this sweat pouring into my eyes.  I love running.  This is so much fun.  I hate my life.  I hate my friends.  I hate Texas.  Death, come quickly.  Oh, look.  My legs just fell off.  My butt is currently dragging on the pavement.  How neat.  What's that?  There's only 400 meters to go, you say?  HOW LONG IS 400 METERS??!!  HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU PEOPLE I'M NOT A RUNNER???!!!  FOR THE LOVE!!!  It's equivalent to only one lap around the track?  Okay.  I'm gonna make it.  I can do this."

And that's when it happened.

My running partner, Missy Phipps (who was running her second 5K of the day), laid it on me.

"We're gonna sprint the last 100 meters."

Say what?

"As soon as we cross that street, we're sprinting to the finish line."

You are out of your ever-lovin' mind, Missy.

But I did it.  I sprinted across the finish line.

I may or may not have wet myself during these last few seconds of physical exertion.  (HEY!  All of you young 20-somethings who haven't birthed 3 children, you WILL wet yourself, too!  The day will come when you won't be able to sneeze, cough, laugh, or jump on a trampoline without something leaking out. So just prepare yourselves and DON'T JUDGE ME.)

Here is a picture of us Mighty Warriors after we all crossed the finish line:

During my 34 minutes of pure torture, there was not a whole lot of conversation going on.  I was mostly concentrating on breathing and not dying.  Shockingly, it was during these moments that the Lord spoke to me.  He encouraged me by bringing several scriptures to my mind.

For example, there were family members and friends spread along the course cheering on all of us runners.  In particular, there were many children there cheering for their mommies.  While my sweet family were unable to make it to the race, I couldn't help but think about my children standing on the sidelines, cheering me on.  And Hebrews 12:1-2 immediately came to mind.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."


I'm aware that in this passage, the "cloud of witnesses" is referring to the previous section of scripture, Hebrews 11, lovingly known as the "Hall of Saints".  All of these giants of our faith are standing in heaven, watching us live out this thing called Christianity, routing us on.  They know the glory that is waiting for us on the other side of the finish line.  But I think the people that I influence on a daily basis are also in my "cloud of witnesses".  My husband, my children, my family, my friends.  They are cheering me on.  They're begging me to finish strong, to endure to the end.  I want to run my race with endurance, if for no other reason than the fact that my children are watching me and cheering for me.

Another verse that kept coming to mind was Romans 8:18.

"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us."


Now, just bear with me for a minute.  I am extremely aware that running a 5K hardly warrants the term "suffering", especially when there is so much REAL suffering going on in the world.  But during my half-hour torture session, I was in pain.  I needed to know that the pain of "this present time" was not going to be my pain of "all time".  I needed to know that it would end.  I needed to know that it would be worth it.

It did end.  And it was worth it.

I've never felt such a sense of accomplishment.  I kept thinking to myself, "I can't believe I just did that."  I was proud.  But that's how life is, isn't it?  We need to know that our difficult times and our struggles will eventually end.  We need to know that they will be worth something.  And they always are.  God redeems everything.  He uses everything.  He can't wait to reveal His glory to us.

One last passage that now has new meaning is 1 Thessalonians 5:11.

"Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing."


Hand on the Bible, there is no way I would've run that whole race without Missy by my side, encouraging me to keep going.  Whenever I wanted to give up, she wouldn't let me.  I don't know how many times she told me "You can do it.  You can do it."  And I believed her.  She is a much more experienced runner than I am.  (Heck.  That's not that hard to accomplish, since I'm NOT A RUNNER.  But she's totes legit, as the kids say.)  I needed someone more experienced than I am pushing me to finish strong, encouraging me to not give up, making me SPRINT to the finish line.  I needed that.

We all need that.  Every day.

When we're stuck, ready to give up, fatigued, worn out, or just plain OVER IT, we need friends who love us enough to encourage us and help us stay focused.  Someone who won't let us give up.  Someone who has been there, done that, and knows what is waiting for us on the other side:  Victory.

2 Timothy 2:7-8 MSG
"This is the only race worth running.  I've run hard right to the finish, believed all the way.  All that's left now is the shouting - God's applause!..."


Run your race, Sweet Friend.  God is cheering you on.

Miracles

I mentioned in my very first post that blogs aren't my thing.  I do not have a history of being a blog reader.  Until, like, 2 days ago...when I decided to start reading other peoples' blogs.  Jen Hatmaker is one of the most insanely hysterical people I've ever encountered on a computer screen.  She is a genius writer and a hard-core servant of Jesus.  Hard-core.  I've also started reading Jennie Allen's blog for several reasons: I taught her Bible Study, "Stuck", at Prestonwood this past semester, and she floored me when she spoke at a Prestonwood event a few weeks ago.

She gets it.

Jennie wrote something in a blog post that stuck with me.  I can't shake it.  She said "God is still able to do miracles.  We just don't often need Him to."

And - I might add - we just don't often ask Him to.

Hello.

If God is who He says He is, if He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb. 13:8), then He should still be performing crazy, stupid miracles that make no sense to our feeble human minds.

I'm not talking about the small, day-to-day "miracles" - getting a great parking spot, digesting food, getting to church on time, finding a lost sock under the couch cushion, etc.  I'm talking about manna from heaven (Numbers 11:1-9), Daniel in the lion's den (Daniel 6), water into wine (John 2:1-12), healing a blind man (Luke 18:35-43), raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11:17-44).  THOSE kinds of miracles.  I'm talking about SIGNS AND WONDERS.

Where are they?  Why am I not seeing them in my own life more often?

Because I either don't need them or I don't ask for them.

Many of you who are reading this are no doubt much more spiritual than I am and have probably experienced major miracles in your lives.  I have experienced major miracles in my own life.  Even recently.

But I want more.


I have (perhaps stupidly, naively) asked Jesus to position my life in such a way that I need more miracles from Him.  I don't know what this is going to look like.  It will probably be painful and there will probably be some uncomfortable consequences to such a bold request.  But I'm ready.

I'm ready for God to start showing off - BIG TIME.

I want God to start showing off His power, His glory, His grace, His love in my life.  All for His fame.  Not my own.  I'm ready to be moved from my comfortable, safe little life into an existence that requires His grace and His provision 24/7.  I'm aware that as a believer in Christ, my life should already be in this place of dependency...but it isn't.  Not really.  And maybe it's because I'm still "young"...but I'm old enough to know that there's more.  I'm old enough to know that He has more for me - more of Himself, more power, more love, more grace, more miracles.  And it's time to get this show on the road.

So that's it for today.  This is where I am.  I'll let you know how this works out for me.

Game on.

Exodus 15:11 - "Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods?  Who is like You, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?"
  

Jesus, Friend of Sinners

Confession:  I don't listen to Contemporary Christian Music.  Because I don't like it...well, I don't like most of it.  In my (always accurate) opinion, most if it is poorly produced, poorly sung, and sounds like a rip-off of something I've heard on secular radio.  Not a whole lot of creativity involved.  Which you may find laughable because Christian music pays our bills.  The Rock Star's musical masterpieces have never and will never fall into this category of mediocrity.  He can do no wrong.

The thing is - Jesus keeps wanting me to change.

He has asked (commanded) me to "pray continually" (1 Thess 5:17).  This means He wants me to be constantly aware of His presence, constantly listening for His voice, constantly obeying, constantly trusting, constantly praising (see 1 Thess 5:16).  One way that I can do this better is to fill my ears with songs that praise and worship Jesus.

Now everybody just calm down for a minute.

I am in no way saying that I believe listening to secular music is wrong or that I will never again listen to secular music.  To be quite honest, XM Radio's 90's on 9 is my JAM.  Who doesn't love a little Third Eye Blind, Salt 'n Peppa, Fuel, or dare I say, *NSync, and some early Britney and Christina?  (Yeah.  I went there.)  And this album will always be the soundtrack to my 8th grade year:

So today, when I (reluctantly) turned on Dallas' Christian radio station in my car, I was blown over by what I heard.  One of the most genuine, honest, authentic, convicting songs to ever grace my judgmental ears.  I pulled over in a parking lot so I could soak it in.  In yesterday's post, I wrote about how God has been speaking to me in abundance lately.  This one song sums it all up.  I could sit here for hours and elaborate, but I won't.  I'll let the lyrics speak for themselves.

"Jesus, Friend Of Sinners"

  By Casting Crowns

Jesus, friend of sinners, we have strayed so far away
We cut down people in Your name, but the sword was never ours to swing
Jesus, friend of sinners, the truth's become so hard to see
The world is on their way to You, but they're tripping over me
Always looking around but never looking up, I'm so double minded
A plank-eyed saint with dirty hands and a heart divided

Oh Jesus, friend of sinners
Open our eyes to the world at the end of our pointing fingers
Let our hearts be led by mercy
Help us reach with open hearts and open doors
Oh Jesus, friend of sinners, break our hearts for what breaks Yours

Jesus, friend of sinners, the One who's writing in the sand
Made the righteous turn away and the stones fall from their hands
Help us to remember we are all the least of these
Let the memory of Your mercy bring Your people to their knees
Nobody knows what we're for, only what we're against, when we judge the wounded
What if we put down our signs, crossed over the lines, and loved like You did

Oh Jesus, friend of sinners
Open our eyes to the world at the end of our pointing fingers
Let our hearts be led by mercy
Help us reach with open hearts and open doors
Oh Jesus, friend of sinners, break our hearts for what breaks Yours

You love every lost cause; You reach for the outcast
For the leper and the lame; they're the reason that You came
Lord I was that lost cause and I was the outcast
But You died for sinners just like me, a grateful leper at Your feet

'Cause You are good, You are good and Your love endures forever
You are good, You are good and Your love endures forever
You are good, You are good and Your love endures forever
You are good, You are good and Your love endures forever

Oh Jesus, friend of sinners
Open our eyes to the world at the end of our pointing fingers
Let our hearts be led by mercy
Help us reach with open hearts and open doors
Oh Jesus, friend of sinners, break our hearts for what breaks Yours

And I was the lost cause and I was the outcast

  You died for sinners just like me, a grateful leper at Your feet

Matthew 25:34-40
"Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.'  Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You a drink?  And when did we see You a stranger and welcome You, or naked and clothe You?  And when did we see You sick or in prison and visit You?'  And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to Me.'"

We are all sinners.  We are all outcasts.  We are all orphans.  We are all the least of these.

But Jesus, the Friend of sinners, changes everything.

My Cyber Housetop

Hello to all 5 of you who will ever read my blog, including my mother, Kathy Allen, and my mentor, Lisa Clark.

I do not like blogs.  They're not my thing.  Kind of like Pinterest.  I just don't care.  Facebook already takes up insane amounts of my time...and most of it is pointless.  I don't tweet.  It's just one more reason to pull out my iPhone or iPad, and pull my attention away from what's right in front of me.  Like my 2-year-old who is currently screaming in her crib for me to get her up from her nap.  Yet, here I sit and type.  She'll survive.

So - you ask why I made this life-altering, destiny-shaping, earth-shaking decision to start a blog???  Simply put, God told me to.  He and I have had quite a thing going the past few months.  I have heard from the Lord more in the last 3 months of my life than I have in my entire 29 years of existence put together.  And I'm pretty sure that He wants me to share some of what He's telling me...with someone other than my husband, the Rock Star, who has the patience of Job when it comes to putting up with me.  "Bradley, God just spoke to me!  Babe, Jesus told me something this afternoon.  Honey, you are never going to believe what He told me today!"  Etc, etc, etc.  For the love of Mary and Joseph, start a blog, Holly!  You need an OUTLET.

So...in the days, weeks, and months to come, as the Lord leads, I will "proclaim from the housetops" what God is doing in my life.  We will not dive into the nitty-gritty today, however.  (Remember the screaming 2-year-old upstairs?  She's still there.  Still screaming.)  

Luke 12:3 says, "Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops."