A lesson while running

This week was supposed to be the week of our conference championship meet. Instead, we’ll be doing some kind of virtual competition our coach has planned for us. I’m sure it’ll be fun…and probably involve running a 400.

After that, we’ll be all done. We’ve been training through all of this just so our bodies can remember what it’s like to finish an entire 10-month season and that way next year won’t feel so weird. But I will tell you, this training has not been easy for me.

For the first couple weeks of training on my own, there were days I wouldn’t finish the workouts. I’d start to have trouble breathing and I’d freak myself out, then it all went downhill from there. I had to write “N/A” when I’d record my splits in my training journal because I couldn’t finish a rep.

A few weeks into this, we had our team Bible study over Zoom. We mostly just chatted, catching up on what everyone’s been up to. But then we started talking about how we were really doing and the things we were struggling with. As I told my teammates about my struggle with running, they were quick to listen and pray with me.

A few more weeks went by and my training got significantly better. I was finishing workouts, I felt stronger, and I didn’t dread putting on my tennis shoes.

When I did my workout last week, “Great Are You Lord” by Casting Crowns came up on my YouTube. I smiled in the middle of the 400 I was running when I heard the words:

It’s your breath in our lungs

so we pour out our praise to you only.

Great are you Lord.

Four weeks ago I had tried to do that same workout and I couldn’t finish it. But this time was different. I was not only able to breathe and finish the workout, but I was also able to smile through it.

Sometimes we wait so long for God to answer our prayers we forget that when He finally does, He goes above and beyond. He is so faithful and wants so much for us. I only asked for the breath and strength to be able to finish a workout, but by His grace I was able to smile while doing it. I’ve felt genuine joy while running that I haven’t experienced in a long time.

Our God is good, and He is faithful. He’s teaching me more about His grace each week, and all I can say is that I’m grateful.