So True...

My friend sent me an email with a bunch of random thoughts. They are so true and so funny. I think several of them cross my mind everyday. Here are some favorites:

- I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was
younger.

- There is great need for a sarcasm font.

- Was learning cursive really necessary?

- Map Quest really needs to start their directions on # 5. I'm pretty
sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

- I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

- Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don't
want to have to restart my collection...again. (For me, this is DVD. I haven't stepped up to Blue Ray yet.)

- I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me
if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I
did not make any changes to.

- "Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this -
ever.

- I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello?...nothing), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voice mail. What did you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?

- I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing
anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

- I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to
answer when they call.

- Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and
suddenly realize I had no idea what the heck was going on when I first saw it.

- I would rather try to carry 10 over-loaded plastic bags in each hand
than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.

- I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and
hunger.

- How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod
and smile because you still didn't hear or understand a word they said?

- I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up
to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and
sisters!

- Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty,
and you can wear them forever.

- There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are
going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.

- Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not
know what time it is.

- Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car
keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the
Donkey - but I'd bet everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time!

Ramblin' About Running

So I ran, and I use that term loosely, my first (and possibly only) half marathon last Saturday. It was hard. It was painful. I learned a lot.

First off, I should start by telling those of you who don’t know me very well that I don’t like to lose. It’s one of the worst feelings, to me. I don’t enjoy doing things that I’m bad at or struggle with. Sometimes, if I don’t think I’m going to be good at something, I just won’t do it. I know what you’re thinking, “Wow, that’s really arrogant.” But let me explain…it is; you’re right.

So when some friends and I decided to sign up for this race in December, I immediately set my goal at being the best, being first. Now, when we signed up for this race, I was, by far, the slowest, least experienced, basically worst runner among us. That didn’t matter to me, though. I do things to win; to be the best. And I had every intention of being the best at this, too.

As I started running more than I have ever run in my life, I began to realize this was going to be hard – much harder than I thought. And I think we all know that’s just not fair. I like a challenge, but it’s not supposed to be “hard.” I should have to work at it, but with a little work it should come easily, right? No. You see, because of my previous rule of not doing things I’m not good at, I rarely do things that don’t come easily or naturally. Unless something or someone is chasing me, running doesn’t come naturally. I’d like to blame my parents (and that would be totally legit), but this isn’t about them.

I did train for this run, but I was not as disciplined as I should have been. There’s no need for details, but let’s just say I could have trained harder. But I didn’t. So now it’s race day. I know what you’re thinking, “I bet your natural athleticism and the adrenaline carried you through in record time to the finish.” Nope. I struggled through about 11 of the 13.1 miles. (By the way, that last 0.1 is really the worst. I think if I ever run another one, I’m going to run the 0.1 miles at the beginning instead of the end.)

James says that trials produce steadfastness, which makes us complete and lacking in nothing (James 1.2-4). Paul says that sufferings produce endurance, which in turn produces character (Romans 5.3-5). I must have a pretty complete character after that race. There were a lot of trials and sufferings that day.

So what was the result? Every single one of my friends who ran beat me. Two of them beat me by about 45 minutes.

It was humbling, to say the least. God has been revealing so much pride in my life lately, and I have been asking Him to humble me. He obviously took that request seriously.

Three years ago, maybe even a year and a half ago, I don’t think I would have been able to talk about it. I would have been so mad. I’m not sure I would have even ended up running the race if I thought I was going to do so poorly. Now, don’t get me wrong, this is difficult for me to write about. I still don’t like losing or, in my eyes, failing. I don’t think I’ll ever be ok with it. It’s just that now it doesn’t weigh as heavily on me as it used to.

So why can I write about it now? What changed? I just grew as a person and matured to this point on my own, right? Not a chance. I think I’ve revealed enough character flaws in these few paragraphs (and don’t worry there are more that weren’t mentioned) for you to know that I didn’t get here on my own.

Thankfully, God doesn’t expect us to do it on our own. He knows we can’t. He loves helping His children “lay aside every weight” (Hebrews 12.1). He loves taking our burdens (Psalm 55.22) and giving us His light burden (Matthew 11.29-30). It’s easier if we will let go of the burdens when He tries to take them, but He loves us so much that He will rip them out of our hands, if need be.

Obviously this isn’t just about running or even losing a race. We know that, “while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come” (1 Timothy 4.8). I said before that I was not disciplined in my race training. That had an effect on the short race last weekend. But we know that we’re all running a longer, much more significant race (Hebrews 12.1-2) that has eternal implications. The training and discipline we subject ourselves to in this life will affect our life to come. I don’t want to stand before my Heavenly Father, the Creator of the Universe, and tell Him that disciplining myself for the blink of lifetime on earth was just too hard or didn’t come naturally, so I just didn’t do it. I don’t want to tell Him that because I wasn’t great at it, and because I kept failing, I just decided not to do it at all.

He loves me regardless, though. My actions or lack thereof cannot change God’s love for me. They cannot change the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross to save my soul. But knowing that, why would I not want to discipline myself to be more like Him? Why would I not want to use everything He has given me to bring glory to Him? Why would I not want to do everything I could for Him to one day hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25.14-30)?

To the Cross I Cling

We've been singing this awesome song in church recently, and I needed to share it.

To the Cross I Cling

- Matt Boswell and Michael Bleecker

No day of my life has passed that has not

Proved me guilty in your sight

The best that I have to offer are these filthy rags

And yet you love me

All things in me call for my rejection

All things in You plead my acceptance

I am guilty but pardoned by grace I’ve been set free

I am ransomed through the blood you shed for me

I was dead in my transgressions, but life you brought to me

I am reconciled through m e r c y, to the cross I cling

No more am I a slave to sin but

Bought with a price

Redemption that was purchased through the blessed cross

That You bore for me

All things in me call for my rejection

All things in You plead my acceptance

I am guilty but pardoned by grace I’ve been set free

I am ransomed through the blood you shed for me

I was dead in my transgressions, but life you brought to me

I am reconciled through m e r c y, to the cross I cling

All things in me call for my rejection

All things in You plead my acceptance

All things in me call for my rejection

All things in You plead my acceptance

All things in me call for my rejection

All things in You plead my acceptance

All things in me call for my rejection

All things in You plead my acceptance

I am guilty but pardoned by grace I’ve been set free

I am ransomed through the blood you shed for me

I was dead in my transgressions, but life you brought to me

I am reconciled through m e r c y, to the cross I cling

If you haven't heard it, you need to. You can listen here.