Thursday, November 11, 2010

The Faith To Do

It's race eve and all week I've had mixed emotions ~ nervousness, excitement and anticipation. I know my body is in great shape and I'm running well. My achiness is pretty minimal and my concentration seems good. Everyone I know is encouraging and wants to see me do well. Now it's up to me to channel my energies and make my body do what I KNOW I can do. I've been struggling with believing I'll meet my goal. I fear public failure. I've caught myself a few times saying things like I hope I'm ready or I hope I make my goal time. I hope I can run the entire race without having to stop or I hope my legs are going to hold up and don't cramp on me. Today it dawned on me, why am I settling for just hope? Where is my faith? I've been hoping for a good outcome, but I haven't truly believed it by faith.

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."(NIV)

Hebrews 11:1

Yes, hope is necessary but faith without works is dead. Hope produces faith and faith is the belief (the knowing) it shall come to pass. In 14 weeks, I've come a long way in my running and spiritual journey. I praise God for all he's shown me, and what he's yet to do. I've worked through long runs, hot and humid days, sudden cold mornings, dogs, torrential down pours, stomach issues, foot and shin pain, and the enemy attacks on my mind. I really wanted to quit a few times but I always managed to get it together and either get it done or make it through. I made it through my training. I made it through the hardest Saturdays I ever experienced. I made it through the Wednesday Tempo/Mile Repeats/Ladder workouts. I made it up the hills when my body wanted to stop. By God, I made it! As I look back on the past weeks of training, I see why I fought so hard with my mind. It's because I lacked faith. I've been hoping I can do it and hoping I can finish. But now, I'm not just hoping, I have faith. My hope produced faith, and my faith strengthens what I believe. By faith, I receive it and I believe it; I'll run a great race on Saturday. I can't wait to get to the finish line! That's called living with expectancy.

Live in Faith, Walk in Love! (I borrowed this quote)

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