Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Hebrews 12:1 ESV
At the young age of 48, I took up a new hobby: running. It wasn’t by choice, but more something that I felt God leading me to do and I entered into this new adventure trepidatious and skeptical. It was most definitely an experience of stepping out onto waves, knowing that if God didn’t help me do it, I would most certainly fail. I’ve come to realize that one of the greatest reasons He sent me out on the road was to teach me lessons through running that apply to the journey of being a special needs parent. Over and over I encounter similarities between the two.
Photo credit: Fitsum Admasu on Unsplash.com
Most recently I discovered something that I truly was not expecting. I believe the Lord showed me this about running so that I would apply it to the rest of my life. I had been training towards a distance goal of 10k, and had gotten to the half-way point where the required run for the week was 5k. I completed the run with no stops and was really proud of myself. I made sure to screen-shot my “splits” (the time it took me to complete each mile) and sent them to a friend who is training with me. The following week the prescribed training run changed its rhythm a bit, and it seemed to take a step back. Rather than running straight for three miles plus, I went back to walking for one minute every mile for a slightly longer duration of time. I don’t mean to bore you with the training details but this is where the really cool part comes in. I expected that my “splits” when I walk for a minute each mile would be much slower than when I run for the whole mile. That was not the case!
It turns out that if I walk for one minute and run the rest of the mile, my total time is exactly the same. Which means my actual running pace is a lot faster when I’ve walked for a minute. As I pondered that fact, I saw that it is much the same as the rest of my life. When I’m plowing full steam ahead with therapies, appointments, meetings, moms groups, etc. and I never stop to take a break, I make average progress. But when I am disciplined to stop, rest, pray and read my Bible each day, the progress I make for the remainder of that day is actually much better. Likewise, if I take the time to fix myself a healthy lunch rather than zipping through the drive thru and eating in my car, I am more clear, focused and accomplish more that afternoon.
There is a reason the analogy of running is used 97 times in the Bible. It resembles our journey in life as believers completely, and this example I’ve discovered is no exception. If you haven’t thought of it this way previously, take a moment to view your special needs parenting life as a race: most of us are on the marathon track. As you envision your race, take stock of the rest breaks, the “walking” minutes in your day, the water stops, and the environment in which you are running. Make sure that you’re setting yourself up to win the race and complete your Divine assignment. Commit to slowing down enough so that you are renewing your mind and you’re allowing for your child to also be renewed and refreshed by rest. If you don’t know when or where to put in those breaks, ask the Lord to show you and guide you into scheduling the right day for you and your family. I can assure you that the net result after taking some time to “walk” will surprise you!
Follow Melanie Gomez at https://redefinespecial.com and on Facebook.
