Runner's Mentality

I’ve been a runner for just about a year now. I’ve discovered how much I enjoy it and the shared bond developed with fellow runners. We talk about split times, running courses, injuries, personal records, and nutrition. It’s also been neat to see how many people are runners when I had no idea beforehand.

I had someone ask me this past week if I ran with someone else in our church. This other runner is at an entirely different level than I am and runs much (much) faster. I laughed when I responded and shared this rationale: trying to run together would only discourage me and frustrate him. I can’t begin to keep up with his pace and he doesn’t want to run at mine.

The powerful thing about running however is that we can still share in the joy of it even though we are in different places. Our community is based on our common affiliation and not in having matching ability levels. The same could be said about our spiritual journey as well. We don’t have to be at the exact same point of maturity to be able to share with each other and provide encouragement. Our common bond is in the path we are pursuing even if we are moving at different speeds.

Stop and Go

When I was a kid we would play a game called, "red light, green light." The objective was to reach the target before anybody else by dashing forward when "green light" was called out and coming to a screeching halt when "red light" was declared. It was a game of speed and maneuverability that could be played without props or preparation. The only thing stopping you from reaching the target was the quick voice calling for a red light moment.

I feel as if I am still playing that game every time I drive. In fact, my wife likes to (gently) harass me when I mutter under my breath whenever I am stopped at a red light. It is certainly a matter of inconvenience that shining green light giving me the right of way had to change to red and stop my momentum. These unplanned traffic stops are disrupting the rhythm of my travel and slowing down my arrival. They truly feel like an affront to my personal schedule. How dare these lights interfere with my plans? It's not as if other people pull up to a light and need to move forward before I do.

Perhaps this frustration focused on stop-and-go action reveals more about my obsession with my own schedule than anything else. My agenda isn't necessarily more important than other people's schedule. It might be more important for me to take a deep breath and simply wait my turn. This shift in attitude won't get me to my destination more quickly, but it will make the journey a little less stressful.

I Don't Know

Our staff meets daily to have a brief devotional thought and pray together as we get the day started. I shared something this morning that has been rolling around in my mind for a while. I had to admit it wasn't a complete and neatly summed up thought however. It really centered around a couple of questions and concepts I had been pondering, but didn't have complete answers to. Even though I didn't supply any valid solutions, it led to a great discussion as we each contributed without ever landing on one perfect answer.

Not everything can be answered quickly and easily and I'm learning to be okay with that. I tend to think by asking questions, but I'm also learning the value of meditating on those questions without coming to an immediate resolution. It requires patience and a willingness to wrestle with thoughts even if the pace is slower and more difficult than I might hope. For someone who likes to accomplish things this isn't an easy process, but I'm discovering great growth in the journey even if it takes me longer to get to my destination than I might desire.

Benefits Package

When my wife and I travel to Arizona (which we love to do) we have certain routines we stick to. While our airline will vary depending on the best possible price, we always rent our vehicles from National Car Rental. I have a contact there who always takes fantastic care of us from the reservation all the way through our return. In fact, he usually makes sure our vehicles are pulled forward and waiting for us when we arrive and expedites our check-in process. There are certain benefits from knowing someone and being a consistent customer.

We all like to receive benefits whether it’s a perk from our employment, privileges from club membership, or other positive results from our relationships. I think most of us look through this lens of personal fulfillment to make decisions about relationships, opportunities, and where we invest our energy. Before we engage in something we usually want to know how it will personally benefit us.

What if we shifted our perspective on this idea and spent the same amount of energy determining how we beneficial we are to other people? How much richer would our personal relationships be if we asked two questions: Am I adding benefit to the people around me? Are others enriched by my presence? I believe this focus will not only strengthen our key relationships, but will radically transform the way we view our community. Actively looking for ways to help other people adds value to all of us.

Getting Ready

We are about to head out on our annual family vacation and I don't think we could be any more excited about the trip. This is a time of refreshing that we look forward to all year long with special traditions along the way. It's our time to completely decompress while eating good food, reading a pile of books, and being (mostly) lazy.

The thing about vacations is that you can't just throw your swimsuit in a car and go though (although some might disagree.) It actually takes some planning, cleaning, and shopping to get ready. The stress level leading up to the trip can often be quite high especially in the last hours of preparation. It's the pressure of preparing to leave that gets to you.

You would think we would manage this a bit better since it seems as if we are always preparing for something. We are constantly getting ready for a new phase of life, a big event on our horizon, personal growth, and changing seasons. The truth is that all of life is based on preparation for what is next. I would hope that my recognition of this would make the process a bit less stressful, but apparently that isn't always true. I've actually got to take the time to stop and enjoy parts of the journey (like a well-timed vacation) to see how preparation makes a difference.

Mile Markers

I like to travel and be in exciting places, but the actual journey isn’t always the most thrilling. This is especially true when you are stuck in slow moving traffic. The most frustrating times are when things slow down for no apparent reason. You may inch along the interstate for 30 minutes and then suddenly everything is back up to speed without any visible cause. This doesn’t even begin to address my frustration with slow drivers (I know—I have issues) and the way they impede my forward progress. Even with smooth moving traffic, I get bored on a long trip if the scenery doesn’t change. It seems as if I won’t ever arrive at my destination, even though mile markers along the way let me know I am getting closer to where I want to go.

I need to make sure there are some of these mile markers in my life as well. The journey of growth and progress I’m on don’t always move forward at the pace I want. Sometimes it feels as if my progress is impeded and I can’t always see the cause. In other times the routine of travel becomes a bit ordinary and makes the journey feel even longer. Perhaps the key is to keep those mile markers close by—short term goals and ways to measure progress that let me know I’m moving forward. I’ve got to set these for each area of my life if I want to be encouraged on the journey. These small markers help me to realize I am making progress even when the destination seems far away.

Off We Go

My wife and I watched the first Hobbit movie again the other night (our whole family loves Tolkien's series.) As the characters set off on their quest, I thought to myself, "they have no idea how long this journey will actually take or how different they will be when they return." Obviously, I am aware these are fictional characters, but the theme still rings true for us. 

We are all embarking on journeys throughout our different phases of life. The beginning of each one holds great promise, excitement, and even some fear. Even though we may have some idea where we are headed, there are unexpected turns and events which change the shape of our travel. The length of our journey and the personal adaptations we go through are not always easily anticipated. If we head down this path with a flexible mindset and the willingness to explore, there's a good chance we'll be positively improved at the conclusion of our trip.

Enjoy the Ride

I see pictures online of people on vacation and start to think about our family vacation at the end of the summer. We always head down to the beach and spend a week being hermits. I'm already looking forward to it and have to remind myself not to dwell on it too much since it is still a few months away.

We leave for the beach early on the day of departure so we can be there by lunchtime and have the afternoon to spend relaxing. Honestly, my main objective on the day of travel is to get there as quickly as possible so our adventure can begin. I don't think too much about the journey except to move it along as quickly as possible (within legal limits of course.)

While it might make sense to think this way about a vacation, I wonder how often I make the mistake of rushing my journey in the rest of my life. I tend to think ahead and look forward to new things and while that is valuable for a vision-focused person, it can lead to me neglecting the value of the process of getting there. There should be joy and a peaceful appreciation for the steps of the journey and not just a focus on my destination. Our life pilgrimage will be much sweeter when we soak up all of the moments along the way. Our life is not just based on where we end up, but how we live out each step along the way. My experiences would be even more fulfilling if I would fully engage in all parts of the journey and not just focus on the arrival.