Sunday, March 15, 2015

God of the Mountain is still God in the Valley

In his book “Ultramarathon Man,” Dean Karnazes describes the highest and lowest elevations of the Western States Endurance Run, a 100-mile footrace through the mountains and valleys of the Sierra Nevada range in California.  Dean said that the summit was breathtaking in every direction.  At the bottom of the canyon, it was utterly stifling.
   
It’s interesting to note here how air is used to describe both an awesome and an unpleasant feeling.  At the summit, Dean gasped in awe of the view; and at the lowest point, he actually gasped for air.

Photo courtesy:  Active.com
To me, it shows how the air we breathe encompass us wherever we are – whether at a mountain top or at the depths of a valley. That’s how God is present in our lives – like the air we breathe – God is present at the highest and lowest point in our lives.  Like the verse of the song, "God of the mountain is still God in the valley."

No matter how successful we are now, we all went through some rock bottom experience.  A friend of mine recently went through a divorce, and then underwent a thyroid surgery, and a month later learned that he will be let go of his job. How worse can it get?  It can feel overwhelming for anyone, but remember that God is with you in bad times as He was there for you in good times. When you feel like you are at an all-time low, gasp for God. With your faith in God intact, you can only get something good out of even the most difficult time in your life.

Even though I walk in the valley of darkness, I will fear no evil for you are with me. (Psalm 23:4)

How can I pray for you today? Let me know.  Post here, email me at prayingrunner@gmail.com, or post on my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/prayingrunner

Sunday, March 8, 2015

No whining!

Under my visor, I was hiding what I truly felt. At Mile 22, I was dog-tired. I struggled to make each step because my calf muscles were as hard as brick.
But I could hear the cheers of a line of spectators behind the official race photographer who was clicking away at the runners as they pass. So the trooper that I am, I picked up my pace, swung those arms, held my head up high and flashed my game face of determination. The crowd cheered and the photographer took shots saying, "There you go! That's the way to work it!"

Running a marathon is not easy. I saw a poster on the course which says, "Chuck Norris never ran a marathon!" That's how hard running a marathon can be even for the toughest guy you know. So I guess it's reasonable to expect a runner to gripe in pain at some point. However, even so, you don't want to whine about it.

Helen Klein, at age 85,
broke the marathon world record
for her age group.
In the same way, the journey of life is like a marathon course. It's not easy. As you live your life, you go through ups and downs, you experience pain, you may trip and fall, and sometimes you feel like quitting. But you don't. You keep going and before you know it, you see a crowd of people cheering for you. In life, these are your friends and family and even some random stranger who believe in you. That's why they're there. Take delight in their words of encouragement even though they're not running your race.

Most importantly, don't whine! Even at the hardest part of the race. Even during the most trying event in your life. You keep moving forward with a positive and hopeful outlook. I overheard a response by Helen Klein, who at age 85 ran the fastest marathon for her age group, to a question as to how she is able to endure a marathon. She said that along the course, she just keeps thinking, "I'm going to have a good rest when I finish the race." Like a marathon, you can expect some difficult turns in your life. But instead of whining when you're actually faced with a difficulty, take time to reframe the problem and think about solutions.

Lastly, remember that there's that photographer on the course. While he knows what you're doing is hard, he's got his camera trained on you. Like a photographer, God has His focus on you all the time.While you give it all you've got, he's about to capture the best in you.  He knows your pain and wants you to worry less; but instead, God wants you to run to him even more.

Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all that he's done. If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

Is there anything I can pray for you today? Let me know.  Post here, email me at prayingrunner@gmail.com, or post on my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/prayingrunner

Godspeed!