Hitting the Wall

There's a phrase in running that describes when a runner hits the hardest part of their race.

Muscles tighten. Body aches. And you begin to feel the blisters forming on your feet.

Ideally, you want to hit the wall closer to the end of your race than the beginning. As I write this, I have blisters on my feet, my hips and ankles hurt, and I'm a little tired from running a half-marathon this morning. Thankfully, I hit the wall at about mile 11 on a 13.1 mile course.

But that doesn't mean it was easy.

The tough thing about hitting the wall is you want to move faster but you can't. You feel good endurance wise, your mind is OK, but your muscles just don't seem to want to move.

And you have a decision to make.

You can quit and start walking. Or you can push through it.

Here's the thing...if you quit and start walking the race actually becomes harder (trust me...I did that on mile 22 of my one and only full marathon and it was not. a. good. idea.).

Your muscles tighten up more and when you you try run again it fells like hot needles poking your feet and legs.

But if you choose to push through it, your legs actually end up relaxing a little bit. And your pace might be slower, but your legs and feet ultimately feel better.

I think the same is true in our walk with God. Sometimes we hit a wall. We want to go forward, we want to move, but we just can't. Things seem to move at a snail's pace.

And you have a choice.

You can quit. Give up and start walking. Maybe even walk away from God. Or you can push through it. And trust me, when you push through it, the run is easier. The burden lighter.

So, if you've hit the wall, push through it. You'll come through it with some aches and pains, but it's worth it every time.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to stretch out my aching legs :)