"The race always hurts. Expect it to hurt. You don't train so that it doesn't hurt. You train so you can tolerate it."
Since I ran my 7th half marathon less than two weeks ago, it really caught my attention.
I had trained the very least for this race. Since I began running when Little Man was a baby, I've always been crazy about training schedules. I would rather not run at all than run unprepared. But I realized today, that in the back of my mind, I always expected to be able to train enough that it didn't hurt anymore. Which I realize now, is silly.
Because when I thought about it, the training hasn't been without it's own challenges. Aches and pains. Exhaustion. Stress fractures. Sickness.
And not long ago, full marathon training that was interrupted by my son's cancer diagnosis.
But my run last week was relatively enjoyable. I'm not denying some discomfort. Or even a desire to quit around mile 11 and 12. But honestly, it was so much less painful than I expected, considering the training I thought I hadn't done.
Turns out, consistent cross-training and faithful shorter runs over YEARS time ended up being enough to get me to the finish line. So really, I HAD trained. Just in a different way.
As usual, running continues to provide so many parallels to life.
Even though many of us willingly train for physical challenges, it's harder to think about training for the trials of life. But whether or not you do it intentionally, we all are doing just that. When we respond to small irritations or inconveniences, we practice for facing the things that stop us in our tracks.
The Coach and I never had a plan for how we'd respond to tragedy in our family. But in our 24 years of marriage, we've trained in countless ways. Dealing with sick kids, financial stress, accidents, surgeries, disappointments, kids who struggled emotionally or physically.
He's gotten up early to study God's Word, even when he's been exhausted. I've prayed even when I haven't felt like it. We've worshipped in spite of our hearts feeling cold (or just so very tired). Discipline and long term habits, built in the calmness, become your default when life gets tough.
For so many years, I thought that the struggles were because we'd messed up in some way. And if we could only figure out the right schedule or diagnosis or communication... the struggles would cease. The lie in this thinking was that struggles were caused by mistakes, not by life in general.
But God's Word tells us that the trials are not always because we've done something dumb. Of course sometimes they are. I like how Tommy Nelson says, "Life is hard enough. Don't be stupid." But more often, it's just part of living with other humans in a fallen world... in bodies that have yet to see the redemption that our souls can receive through Christ.
I can't say that we have responded perfectly to every horrifying moment we've been through with our sweet son, who is still in cancer treatment (although PRAISE GOD for continued remission). But I'm reminded once again, the PAIN isn't a sign that we haven't trained. The PAIN is a sign that we're alive. And by God's grace, we can endure the pain.
We train ourselves to depend on...
His strength.
His goodness.
His patience.
His love.
His mercy.
His faithfulness.
It doesn't make the pain go away. But it give us the ability to bear up under it.
Depend on the Lord today in the little things. Good and bad. Easy and hard. Use your "faith muscles", so they'll be ready for what comes next. The pain doesn't mean you're a failure and it can't always be fixed, but it DOES give you an opportunity to trust the Lord and glorify Him in all that He allows in your life.
"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." James 1:2-4
