Straining Ahead...

Back in February, I decided to make a couple critical choices about my health: 1) I needed to eat less, eat better, and stop eating so late at night.  (Our schedule is hectic, and sometimes I don't always follow through on the last part, but I try).  2) I needed to get more exercise.  I'll be 44 soon, so the easiest way to begin was by walking.

There is a deeper reason - besides what I saw looking back in the mirror at me.  It's because my son, Jaret, has been an inspiration to my life.  He was a very good athlete - a varsity cross country runner.  He was driven...competitive...dedicated.  I wanted to do this for his memory.  I needed to do this for myself.

Nearly 4 months later, I've lost 65 pounds.  (I won't tell you my starting point, except to say the scales were saying "one at a time, please.").  I'm down 6 inches off my waist.  I walk between 20-25 miles a week.  I've made a commitment to this lifestyle, not out of duty, but because I want to be in the best physical shape for my family and for my ministry.  It's also my "God-Time" - I can put my earbuds in to enjoy the music on my phone, and spend time talking with God - and just thinking about spiritual truths & enjoying His creation.  (Paul wrote in Philippians 4:8 - "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things.")

After awhile, I started jogging some.  Now, I'm a "big boned" guy, so jogging isn't so easy for me to do.  But, I give it the old college-try.  A few days ago, we had a torrential downpour that I got caught in the middle of (2 miles from home) while out on my walk / jog.  To not step in a big current of water next to the curb, I instead misstepped, and landed awkwardly on my right leg.  My knee started aching.  (Now, if you're a man, the first thing you do is look-and-see if someone saw you.)  I didn't fall, and stuck the landing (the judges probably would have gave me a 3.5 score).  But finishing the trip home would be painful...

There is not only a physical element to my story --- but I've learned there is a spiritual element here as well.  Ever taken a misstep in life?  Bad monetary decisions that created debt...  Bad responses that created broken relationships...  Bad emotional outbursts that led to anger & hurtful words...  

So here's what I've learned: I find that I often fail in life when I look TOO FAR ahead...  Life can be overwhelming when we look at the big picture instead of the moment in front of us.  Even Jesus said something about looking too far ahead in life: "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." - Matthew 6:34 (and be sure to read this verse in context of the rest of Matthew 6 with regard to worrying & trust).  Even Jesus knows that life is hard.  The short-range view is always wiser than the long, He reminds us...

I once asked Jaret what the hardest part of running Cross Country was.  He answered immediately: "The part when I can see the finish."  I never quite understood what he meant.  After all, it would seem that is when you fight the hardest to finish.  But now that I've taken up jogging, I know full well what he was trying to communicate.  When I begin to see the house ahead of me, I'm tempted to just walk...

So I have learned a little trick: I fix my eyes just a few feet in front of me.  Occasionally I'll look ahead, but I immediately look back down to that spot on the road.  I've found it helps me...drastically.

If you are spiritually struggling with something, don't look too far ahead.  Trust me, I've been there.  When Jaret died, I didn't know how this could turn out for anything good.  I was looking too far ahead.  I simply fixed my eyes on what was happening in that day --- many times, just in that moment.  As the writer of Hebrews compels me, I just fixed my eyes on Jesus.

I would implore you to listen to the words of Paul in Philippians 3:12-14: "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

When you feel like quitting...strain toward just what is in front of you.  Don't look back.  Don't look too far ahead.  God is not the "I was" nor is He the "I will be."  He's the "I AM" - here with you in this moment.  Finish strong...