Running Right

Since September of last year I have been running. Three times a week (mostly) I leave in the dark of the early morning and return home in daylight about 30 minutes later.

Saying that I have been running is a miracle in and of itself.  I absolutely LOVE to walk and can walk very fast.  However, after many failed attempts at the act of even a short run, I officially "called it" long ago-

I am not a runner

Needless to say when a friend challenged me last year to begin running, I was shakin' in my boots.  At first, I dreaded even waking up on "running days" and just wanted to get it over with. 'Let me get moving so I can put in my time, get out of breath, and move on' was my thinking.  Then I began to push myself.  'See if you can run longer than five minutes.'  'Okay now see if you make it to the top of the hill without stopping.'  'Now sprint to the end of the road!'  No longer is it a challenge from my friend.  Now it is an inner challenge.  I am challenging myself to do the extra.  To put my all into it.  And whenever I see results (strength, endurance, anticipation) it motivates me to continue.

I've quickly come to realize that there are SO many lessons to be learned from running.  Take today for example.  While running uphill, I was starting to feel gassed and my legs were becoming jelly underneath me.  I didn't feel like I was going to make it up this "easy" hill, yet I was determined.  What was holding me back?  Then I remembered...I was running all wrong.  I was using the front of my legs to do the work instead of using the back.  It is easy and intuitive to use the toes, calves, and hamstrings for running--but it is not best.  The larger muscles of the quadriceps and gluteal area as well as the heels provide the strength like a springboard to propel the body where it needs to go.  Using these parts is more difficult.  It requires intention and, for me at least, an unnatural shift.  But once I engage them, there is a clear difference.  I have power that is unmatched and tone displayed after months of using these muscles over and over again.

When I think about this scenario I am reminded of the importance of bringing God into my circumstances.  I can run all over the place in my own strength only to grow weary.  But when I do the intentional work of including God in my situation and employing the tools that He has given me, the load becomes lighter, His power is displayed, and growth ensues.

Stuck on Stain

 Recently I purchased a dusty orange ottoman from a thrift store.  It was in mint condition except for a wobbly leg that likely kept buyers at bay.  My husband tightened the screw on the loose leg and the stool is absolutely perfect.  An absolutely amazing find for $1.99!

There's a slight problem, though.  Because of its light color, I worry about it staining.  We had previously purchased some stain repellent spray for other furniture and applied it to this piece as well.  Nonetheless, I continue to worry about the ottoman getting stained.  At times, due to the lighting, an odd shadow will fall on it that mimics the appearance of a stain from afar.  I walk over to it, inspect the area, and to my surprise find the fabric in just the condition we purchased it--pristine.  But this scenario has played out multiple times with me being duped on each occasion into thinking that something has stained my precious piece of furniture.

This obsession, my fixation on the ottoman getting stained, makes me think about other areas in my life where I tend to be anxious.  Whether it is nagging my kids, strong-arming my way through a situation I was told to wait on, or doing something that's really someone else's responsibility because I want to make sure it gets done, I can easily get wander past my own borders.  In the case of my ottoman, it is the stain protector's job to protect the furniture.  My responsibility is to let it do it's job, live life, and stop worry about whether or not the dang thing is stained.  The same is true for the rest of my life.  There are protections in place for worrisome situations and (thankfully!) most of them do not depend upon my oversight.  I need to let these systems do the job they were created to do and stop checking in on whether or not they are working like they should.

And, if I'm doing this right, all that's left to do is kick my feet up on my orange ottoman and chillax.

Covid classroom entry #1

 Periodically I'm going to write about life in the new age of "covid classrooms".  My definition for this term is a class (whether for the purposes of school, work, or other) that is taught remotely due to the wrath of the covid virus.  Today's entry stems from an exchange during my kindergartener's class being taught remotely due to a temporary covid closure.

The names have been changed to protect the innocent.

My Kid: Miss Michaels is frozen!

Jenna: Aw, Miss Michaels is frozen again!

My Kid: Miss Michaels is frozen...we can do whatever we want!  Woo hoo!

Sammy: Let's pretend we're frozen.

Zeus (hey, if I'm changin' the names I'm gonna get creative): Yeah!  Let's do it!

Annika: Wait, how do you stop moving?  I can't do it.

Jeremy: You just need to stay still and only breathe through your mouth like this (demonstration ensues)

Miss Michael: Ok, Friends, I'm back.  You know what's great about all this?

Silence

Miss Michael: Comcast says there is nothing wrong!  Okay, so where were we?

My dear Educators, may God bless you with strength, patience, and humor in these trying times!