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I like to run. No, wait a minute...that is not altogether true. There are some things about running that I like. The running itself is not always so pleasant.
More specifically, I like running at the YMCA. The climate is controlled there. It is neither too hot nor too cold and there are two big fans that are always moving the air.
The treadmills are nice as well. They roll steadily so that I can’t give in to my natural tendency to want to slow the pace. They also cushion the impact on the knees.
The best thing about running is when it is finished. I love being hot, sweaty, and worn out. The feeling of having done something is satisfying. This is especially true when I think about the health benefits.
Another key element of the after-run is the locker room. In the locker room, there are almost always some other men who are about to do their daily routines. Every once in awhile, conversation beaks out, but more often than not a friendly greeting is all that is spoken.
Running indoors at a facility like the Y adds some pleasantness to the chore of staying in shape. Running there keeps one insulated from some of the obstacles while providing the benefits of regular exercise.
You would think that running is running, regardless of where you do it. That is not the case for me. I have grown accustomed to running indoors on a treadmill. Running outdoors on the pavement is different. The pavement has none of the cushiony comfort of the treadmill. When my foot hits pavement repeatedly, I start to feel it in my ankles and knees in no time.
The air is different as well when running outdoors. There is no thermostat to keep it comfortable. When it is cold, it is cold; and when it is hot, it is hot. Sometimes it moves and sometimes it just hangs there. The day-to-day consistency of indoor running is missing.
When the outdoor run is completed there is no conveniently located locker room. Getting cleaned up means getting in the car and going home. At home, there are no other out of shape old guys with which to commiserate.
Life, the Christian life in particular, shares some of the similarities and differences of running indoors versus running outdoors.
Life has a certain peacefulness and pleasantness to it when we are able to control most or many of the situations we face. If we are able to choose the problems we have to deal with, then we are able to choose the problems that we feel prepared to address. Yet, life does not always seek our input into which problems come our way and which ones do not.
There are times in life when we feel the constant thudding of life’s daily challenges, not just in our aching joints, but in the depths of our soul. We need something to cushion the pounding.
There are days when we can’t seem to catch our breath. Either there are too many things to do and too many places we have to be, or the air around us is heavy with worries and concerns and we cannot easily breathe it.
Following Christ and seeking to live our lives for Christ certainly bring challenges and trials that we might not face if we were living our lives for ourselves. Yet, it also brings some peacefulness and pleasantness that we could not know otherwise.
Our brothers and sisters in Christ give us some cushion and help us absorb the impact of life’s bumps and jolts. There is steadiness to a life lived in the company of those who are seeking to be faithful to Christ — steadiness that holds us up when life’s burdens get to be too heavy.
The testimonies of faithful Christians, both past and present, add weight to these words from Hebrews 12:10: “...since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us.”
And we run, even on the hard days, with the assurance that if we wait upon the Lord our strength shall be renewed, we will mount up with wings of eagles, run and not be weary, walk and not faint.
Christ calls us to live our lives in the world, but with the understanding that we are on the way to another world. So let us run with the Apostle Paul in such a way as to win the prize.
Joy and peace,
Ed
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