Keep Going

"I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his

sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from

the dead. 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. (Philippians 3:10-14, NIV)

This time of the year is always a difficult time for me. With spring comes buds and with buds come

pollen and with pollen comes my respiratory challenges. Over the years, I have learned to adjust and

continue best practices that reduce my breathing issues.

Along with adjustments, I have also been actively using the tools on our health insurance website

and daily feed data into an App that tracks steps and activity. All this said, the last few weeks have

revealed to me that buds are busy emitting their green little devils....UGH!

Today, I kept a normal flow of life moving forward by getting a short run in. FYI: One of the things

the health app tracks is whether I am sticking to normal patterns of living (As much as possible).

Normality is not always easy to maintain but statistics reveal that those who can maintain day to

day patterns of likeness are more stable and less stressed (Trust me, this all looks good on paper till

a COVID-19 virus hits). Back to the run....

With 59 degree temps, I wore sweatpants and a long sleeve shirt with a beanie for my head. The

run seemed to have its fair share of labored breathing but there was definitely an edge to the air. It

felt like inhaling molecules that looked like tiny spheres covered with prickly barbs (Ever look at

pollen under a microscope)?

Anywho, the last 1/4 mile was uphill and I was laboring. As I peered up the hill, I wanted to walk. My

lungs were hurting and muscles were stressed from lack of oxygen. My pride got in the way though.

I resorted to an old trick I learned a long time ago. Don't look at the top of the hill but concentrate on

the next faithful step in front of me.

So with head down, mouth hanging open, and stressed huffing and puffing, I put one foot in front

of the other. The temptation to look up was intoxicating but the resolve to keep looking at the next

faithful step was comforting. With each plodding footfall, I knew I was getting closer to the summit. I

didn't have to look up to see where the top of the hill was, I envisioned my success with each new

step.

Friends, we are in a day to day race so to speak with coronavirus and closures, with resources

limited and with fear and panic spreading quicker than a bucket of pollen blowing out of a pine tree.

It is so easy to look at the distant resolution to this season of unrest and want to give up and quit.

Don't you do it!

The metaphor of running the hill head down concentrating on the next faithful step is analogous with

faith. We don't need to see the destination that looks unattainable but fully rely on our God who walks

(runs) beside us cheering us on.

Don't let the fear of uncertainty and anxiety of running out of supplies thwart your good run (walk).

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding but in all your ways

acknowledge God and he will make your paths straight. Head down, keep going! God has you in the

Divine palm.

"A Musing Pastor"