My thighs are very tense now - both yesterday and today I ran a total of about 16km. Suddenly I felt like running. Sounds like Forrest Gump. :)
I had trouble going down the stairs these two days as my legs felt as if there were weights attached to them. Whenever I want to sit, I had to throw my butt onto the chair because I could not control the muscles around my thighs. I was all ready for the chair to collapse because of the immense force applied to it each time I attempted to sit. Quite amusing, I must say. :)
Anyway, while I was running God reminded me of the verse from Philippians 3:14. I have not been exercising as regularly as I should in the past two months. My knees were giving me problems and I was also busy with ministries and projects at church.
A couple of times as I covered the routes, I felt like giving up - yesterday I had to stop here and there because I felt a sharp pain where my right rib-cage is; today I stopped more than yesterday because my rib-cage still hurt and my legs felt very heavy. My mental stamina was also weak.
One lesson I learnt about running which can be applied in my walk with God is this - my spiritual journey needs to be constantly conditioned like that of a runner. If he stops for a period, he had to start all over again to get into form. Likewise for my spiritual journey, I need to consistently keep in touch with God daily to grow in Him. If not, the momentum will not be there. Then the temptation to be lazy sets in and as time goes by I will become complacent. When God takes second place because of my ill-disciplines, everything else of the world takes His position and slowly He pales away in my life. I pray this will not happen.
The other lesson I learnt is perseverance. The thought of having to run 8km scared the wits out of me. I became anxious and at times I complained as to why I was so stupid to put my body through all these rigorous trainings when I could have just spent that one hour or so in a restaurant eating Xiao Long Baos, steaks, lagsane, pork knucles, etc. Hmmm... yumz!!! Oops, side-tracked for a moment. Sorry.
As I was saying... as I ran on, I wondered how long more before I was able to see the finishing point. I have to confess that there were several moments when I just wanted to give up and take a slow walk back but I decided to press on. I cried out to God to help me endure and in many occasions He gave me the extra boost and I was able to go on and reach the end point. It sure felt good when that happens.
I guess in my walk with God and in my pilgrim's journey this year which still has 363 days to go, I need to press on when the going gets tough. I need God to run ahead to show me the way; beside me to cheer me on; behind me to support me should I collapse and in me to give me the strength to go on. I have to admit I will fall along the way because of my human-ness but I hope to practice perseverance. I do not wish to lose my momentum in my spiritual race because it is just so dangerous to fall into the trap of complacency.
One more lesson I learnt got to do with the pain which I am now experiencing. As of all physical trainings, pain is part and parcel of the regime. If one can overcome the pain barrier at the initial stage because the body has yet to be conditioned properly, then what comes after that is the ability to push the body to go further and the pain would just vanish as it progresses.
It goes the same for my walk. If I can just overcome the inertia and endure the initial pain in reading God's Word and in praying daily, then as it goes along, it becomes so much a part of me that I do not have to struggle much anymore. In fact, when I get to know God even deeper, then the desire to want to do more for Him and to allow Him to use me at a greater capacity would be a natural response on my part.
It also helps me to stand firmer when I am blasted with the lures of the world because the muscles around my legs would have been better-developed and I would be stronger to fight on.
Well, just talking about the above-mentioned would be pointless. I guess it is time to start my spiritual exercising. May God be my personal trainer - some say He is the best in Singapore, JB and even Batam ah! To me I think He is the best in the world! :)
I shall report on my pilgrim's progress as the journey goes on.
For now, it is time to break chairs as I sit down because I really cannot control myself to do so gently. :)
"I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:14
"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air." 1 Corinthians 9:24-26
I had trouble going down the stairs these two days as my legs felt as if there were weights attached to them. Whenever I want to sit, I had to throw my butt onto the chair because I could not control the muscles around my thighs. I was all ready for the chair to collapse because of the immense force applied to it each time I attempted to sit. Quite amusing, I must say. :)
Anyway, while I was running God reminded me of the verse from Philippians 3:14. I have not been exercising as regularly as I should in the past two months. My knees were giving me problems and I was also busy with ministries and projects at church.
A couple of times as I covered the routes, I felt like giving up - yesterday I had to stop here and there because I felt a sharp pain where my right rib-cage is; today I stopped more than yesterday because my rib-cage still hurt and my legs felt very heavy. My mental stamina was also weak.
One lesson I learnt about running which can be applied in my walk with God is this - my spiritual journey needs to be constantly conditioned like that of a runner. If he stops for a period, he had to start all over again to get into form. Likewise for my spiritual journey, I need to consistently keep in touch with God daily to grow in Him. If not, the momentum will not be there. Then the temptation to be lazy sets in and as time goes by I will become complacent. When God takes second place because of my ill-disciplines, everything else of the world takes His position and slowly He pales away in my life. I pray this will not happen.
The other lesson I learnt is perseverance. The thought of having to run 8km scared the wits out of me. I became anxious and at times I complained as to why I was so stupid to put my body through all these rigorous trainings when I could have just spent that one hour or so in a restaurant eating Xiao Long Baos, steaks, lagsane, pork knucles, etc. Hmmm... yumz!!! Oops, side-tracked for a moment. Sorry.
As I was saying... as I ran on, I wondered how long more before I was able to see the finishing point. I have to confess that there were several moments when I just wanted to give up and take a slow walk back but I decided to press on. I cried out to God to help me endure and in many occasions He gave me the extra boost and I was able to go on and reach the end point. It sure felt good when that happens.
I guess in my walk with God and in my pilgrim's journey this year which still has 363 days to go, I need to press on when the going gets tough. I need God to run ahead to show me the way; beside me to cheer me on; behind me to support me should I collapse and in me to give me the strength to go on. I have to admit I will fall along the way because of my human-ness but I hope to practice perseverance. I do not wish to lose my momentum in my spiritual race because it is just so dangerous to fall into the trap of complacency.
One more lesson I learnt got to do with the pain which I am now experiencing. As of all physical trainings, pain is part and parcel of the regime. If one can overcome the pain barrier at the initial stage because the body has yet to be conditioned properly, then what comes after that is the ability to push the body to go further and the pain would just vanish as it progresses.
It goes the same for my walk. If I can just overcome the inertia and endure the initial pain in reading God's Word and in praying daily, then as it goes along, it becomes so much a part of me that I do not have to struggle much anymore. In fact, when I get to know God even deeper, then the desire to want to do more for Him and to allow Him to use me at a greater capacity would be a natural response on my part.
It also helps me to stand firmer when I am blasted with the lures of the world because the muscles around my legs would have been better-developed and I would be stronger to fight on.
Well, just talking about the above-mentioned would be pointless. I guess it is time to start my spiritual exercising. May God be my personal trainer - some say He is the best in Singapore, JB and even Batam ah! To me I think He is the best in the world! :)
I shall report on my pilgrim's progress as the journey goes on.
For now, it is time to break chairs as I sit down because I really cannot control myself to do so gently. :)
"I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:14
"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air." 1 Corinthians 9:24-26
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