"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely,* and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us..." Hebrews 12:1 NRSV
This spring, for the first time, we are a track family. Both of our children have been in sports, but not track and field before. In watching the meets and practices I've learned some important and unexpected things.
I was reminded to never underestimate anyone. Our daughter never showed much interest in running, but it turns out she has some natural skill with the high jump...and she loves it! It is the last semester of middle school, yet she is trying a new sport, and is very glad she took the chance and tried something new. All the other sports were done, and track was the last one available. Instead of automatically writing off track because she was too old, or the year was almost done, she decided to explore her curiosity and try a new thing.
The second thing I learned was that there is a distinct difference between distance running and sprinting. This past fall our son discovered he loved to run cross country. In fact, only after he learned he might be able to run long distances in track did he decide to try.
So I was surprised at the first meet when the coach put him in the 100 M dash and in some relays. I understood that he wanted to get a baseline of the stills of the kids, so we supported our son running sprints. I watched, baffled, as our son's technique and stride completely changed. Instead of the long, effortless stride of his long distance days ( he really is a natural distance runner), on the track we saw our boy take on a unique stance. Suffice it to say that running sprints looked like a strenuous effort to him. By the same token, our daughter who loves to sprint now, has more difficulty with pacing on distances.
Clearly, different races require different skills, and different endurance.
As I've pondered this, I think about a good friend of mine who writes a blog on PTSD -- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder-- it is a fabulous blog, and if you know of someone who has faced traumas it is a great site. (The link is at the bottom of this blog page). My friend addresses the issues as a sprinter, and with good reason. The challenges for someone with PTSD are often intense and require immediate attention. He talks about having a RIT (Rapid Intervention Team) and the effects of PTSD as "Dragon Strikes". So much of it brings to mind shorter (relatively speaking), very intense encounters to face in one's day... like the 100 or 200 M dash. Taking care of oneself in those circumstances requires a specific set of tools and intense energy in the immediate future.
In contrast, I realize that this blog and my own approach to my health issues has been much more like the long-disance runner. Test results (while they can be intense) often take time. Improvement often is measured over weeks or months instead of hours or days. The challenges of living with chronic illness in day to day life requires endurance and a stride that won't wear you out too soon. Some of us are learning the coping skills that it requires to face chronic illness: patience, endurance, balance of one's life, and habits that will build health (often slowly) over time.
Now, there are times when the 'sprinter' in me wants faster results. I want the weight to drop NOW! I want results for such and such a test NOW! I want to see a doctor NOW! And my blogging colleague is teaching me much in his approach to long term care and perspective. None of us are simply sprinter or distance when it comes to challenges, but I think we have both capabilities within us. One part of the other (figuratively speaking) runs better either in the short sprint or the mile.
What are your natural gifts? Are you patient and unfazed by long waits, or do you handle things better when all chaos breaks loose and you're moving 90 miles an hour mentally? In faith, the Lord has given us specific gifts to run the race ahead of us, and to help train those who run alongside us.
Fear not, no matter how you run, the important thing is that you are still learning, still growing, and still 'running' pushing on to the goal. Run this race, and appreciate the gifts you've been given in your own self today.
Dear Lord, you give each of us precious gifts to live our faith no matter what the circumstances. Help us today to appreciate who we are and who you've made us to be. Help us also to learn from those you run this race differently, and help us support them with our own gifts. Amen.
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