(post long run ramblings. . .)
This spring I had a girlfriend ask if I would run a half marathon with her this fall. My initial reaction was that I had too much going on this summer to add a "real" training plan into the mix - but I told her I would think about it. Within 36 hours, I had committed. I have wanted to train for a half for more than a decade. One year I even put in the miles to complete one - but chose to watch Jamison race rather than run a race of my own. Ready or not, convenient or not, I decided this was a great opportunity to complete a long time goal.
And you know what? That commitment has set me free.
For years I have allowed the schedules of everyone around me to completely dictate if and how long I worked out; however, after making a real commitment to run, I feel empowered to add running to my list of priorities. It has become a non-negotiable, and rather than resenting it, my family is excited for me. It is not always convenient. I have had to run earlier than I wish many times. I have also had to run on the treadmill, rather than outside, more than I would like. However, once I made a real commitment to running, I have found a way to make every run on my training plan happen. It has been so much simpler than I ever would have guessed. (Finding the time that is. A few of the runs have been pretty rough! Ha!)
The truth is, although society (and sometimes my teenagers) would argue, I believe that commitment almost always sets us free. In my experience, being committed validates what we are doing or feeling in a wonderful and powerful way.
Take marriage - a spouse is sometimes referred to as "the ball and chain" signifying some sort of weight you are forced to carry around with you once you say "I do." In my experience marriage has set me free. Knowing Chad is committed forever, sets me free to love deep and wide and with complete abandon. It has set me free to truly pursue my deepest desires. Rather than being stifling, the commitment of our marriage, makes me feel safe, empowered, and supported.
My relationship with Christ is the same. Sure He has expectations for me, there are rules and guidelines, hopes and dreams that come with our relationship. But rather than feeling like I am missing out on anything, His boundaries set me free. Free to love safely. Free to make wise choices. Free to attempt the impossible under the umbrella of His protection and grace.
"I run in the path of Your commands for You have set my heart free." Psalms 119:32
(The best part of a long run is that when I have NOTHING else to pay attention to other than the movement of my body, my brain rests - the fog clears, the chatter subsides, and His whisper is much easier to hear. It is a beautiful thing, painful - but beautiful!)
