Counting Blessings

This blog post by Sara Hall is one of the best posts I've ever read.  I’ve started a "running and faith" post myself multiple times, but it’s never even close to up to par with what she wrote, so just go read hers and know that I feel similarly but am far less eloquent and insightful!

As a Christian, faith is intertwined in everything I do on earth, including running.  I can tie faith to running in so many ways.  Some big ones:

• We are all given talents and passions, and we are called to use those for God.  Sometimes it’s difficult to know exactly how to do that with running, but I often think about all of the people I come in contact with through running.  I hope they see the joy that running brings me, and also the joy and fulfillment that having Jesus in my heart brings me.  I also hope I am able to help others, whether through helping with a training plan, as a pacer in a race, as a training partner, as an example that over-coming injuries is possible, as a OMRR board member, etc. (plus let's face it, runners in general are just amazing people, and having more and more of them in my life is wonderful!).
• I find that running alone is a great time to pray and to listen to Christian music.  I typically feel closer to God during and after running.  
• Running is enjoyable!  Sometimes I think of the things that bring us joy as “Jesus in disguise.”  He wants us to be happy.  He delights in the details of our lives – and that includes training and racing! 
• Running makes me a better Christian.  Running can feel like a selfish endeavor, but it really does overflow into other areas of my life and makes me a better wife, mom, employee, etc.  I think any runner can relate to this; that time spent training makes us better at our time spent doing everything else.
• Even running is part of His greater plan, and will go according to His plan - even though I don’t understand exactly how.  Learning to trust this has been big for me, although it’s particularly hard to understand when training and racing go poorly, when injuries happen, etc.  I remind myself that when my plans don't work out, it's because God has better ones, and I wholeheartedly believe that (even though I am still a crazy planner!). 
• I never feel like I'm doing enough, but with Jesus we are enough.  His grace is enough! 

I try to live by:  “Count your blessings, not your complaints!”  I’ve truly found that the more I do this, the better everything is.  Bad things happen to all of us every day, and much of life can be mundane, but I try to look at the blessing on the flip side (e.g., if I think, "Ugh, I hate cleaning", I flip it around and think, "I'm thankful that I own a house to need cleaning, and am so blessed to have a family that makes the home 'lived in'").  I'm not sure why it's easier to moan and grumble about the bad things than to focus on the good ones, but I recognize this is my career in ABA as well.  Being a behavior analyst in addition to being a Christian goes a long way in shifting my focus to the positives!

It’s amazing how many blessings we are given every single day that we don’t even think twice about.  Just to be able to get out of bed in the morning, to be able to walk across the room, to drive safely across town, to be generally healthy, to be around loved ones, to have jobs, to have hobbies and free time; the list is endless!  Every mile is certainly a blessing, and in relation to this marathon training cycle, there are some HUGE ones:

1. God has given me so many wonderful women to train with.  I love running, and I can’t even express how much I love doing it with these girls!  They are all so supportive and I value their friendships more than any PR.  I am so thankful for my running friends and the opportunity to spend time training and socializing with them.
2. I am injury-free, and based on my history this truly is a small miracle.  I need to think of this before I complain about anything related to any run...because I am running!
3. I am currently healthy.  I had a bout with bronchitis a few weeks ago, and that was certainly a reminder that I need to be uber-thankful for my health.  In early 2016 I had an episode of bronchitis/walking pneumonia/wheezing/who knows that lasted weeks.  I was so worried the bronchitis I had recently would turn into that, and I am so thankful that it didn’t.  I need to think about this before I complain about a missed workout due to bronchitis, or about being tired or having the sniffles.
4. God has blessed me with a wonderful and supportive family.  I am so thankful for my husband and daughter, as well as my parents and extended family.  Everyone is supportive of my training, and I know that not all runners have that in their families, so I am very appreciative.  I need to think about this before I complain about lack of time to "do it all".
5. The winter has been quite mild in Missouri!  I haven’t had to take my training inside except for one 6 mile recovery run on the treadmill.  That is really pretty amazing; there are typically at least a handful of days each winter where road conditions aren’t safe or morning low temperatures are far below zero.  I need to remember this before I complain about the weather any day!
6. I have the ability mentally and physically to push and challenge myself.  Who am I to fret over a mile split here and there?  

To end with, this blog post has 26.2 (actually 27) bible verses for running and racing, and I also highly recommend it.