Let me start off by saying I am in no way, shape or form a “runner”. I am a jogger. I “run” 3-5 miles at 6.2 speed. It is a struggle for me, but afterwards I feel so strong and powerful. When the world is overwhelming and stressful, nothing is better than strapping on my tennis shoes and running until my legs will not go one step more.
An unfortunate issue has come up in my life in the past month.
SHIN SPLINTS.
Yes, I have the worst shin splints I have ever had in my whole life. Worse than my cross-country days, tennis team trials, and any other attempt I had at being sporty. My little right shin has become so sore, and the sharp intense pain when running has left me in a workout war with myself.
I am at a loss to what caused my shin to break down. But what perplexes me most if how I keep trying to run on it. I can’t take a day off. I know that if I keep this up, I will find myself permanently in pain without the ability to run at all.
I’m sure my running routine seems so small and insignificant to most, but this little situation has shown me a little life lesson. I want to be a “runner” so bad, but I pushed myself too much, too fast, too hard to get what I wanted. Now I am left hardly even a jogger, and I am forced to take a true break from running to get back on the treadmill one day. Something’s in life seem like they should be easy to achieve, accomplish, and acquire. But just like running in my life, not everything is going to happen how I want it to. I can’t always have everything I have dreamed of, but that doesn’t mean my life won’t be even better than I have dreamed possible.
I truly believe that God has a plan for my life, and his timing is not in my control. Something’s in life are never going to be mine because they aren’t supposed to be mine, other things will never happen because something better is on the way, one door closes and another door opens, and the cliché phrases could go on and on. Being afraid of the future, holding on to the past, and not realizing what is in my present are all like my shin splints, they are holding me back from my true potential.
"Life, if you keep chasing it so hard, will drive you to death…At some point you have to stop because it won't. You have to admit that you can't catch it. That you're not supposed to catch it. At some point, you gotta let go and sit still and allow contentment to come to you."
So tomorrow begins the first day of many where I stop running and allow myself to heal. Stop running from what is not best for me and continue to walk with God for my strength and comfort.
-SJP
No comments:
Post a Comment