Limited Vision

“To have faith where you cannot see; to be willing to work on in the dark; to be conscious of the fact that, so long as you strive for the best, there are better things on the way, this in itself is success.” --Katherine Logan

Saturday I had one of the best runs I have had in a long time. The simple thing I can attribute it to is not the pleasant weather, my better cardio condition or the time of day, the simple reason is that my sun-visor was on to low. I found the fact that it was so low over my eyes annoying and early on in the run I tried to adjust it a couple times but then gave up.

I am just getting back into regularly working out and instead of my usual hit- it-crazy- hard, right away , I have decided to take the smarter course of action and slowly ease back into getting in shape. I try and do a distance of 5-8 miles every time but walk and run intermittently. I have heard repeatedly that this is best for your aging body, plus I can tell it works different muscles. I do a hill route near my house that has a super steep hill that has the most extreme degree of slope I have ever experienced while not scaling cliff faces. You have to lean your body far forward while running up it and it is almost like having to “toe” up it as in rock climbing.

I have been telling myself that I need to run all the way down the hill and all the way up without walking at any point and then I will know I am making progress. It hadn't happened until yesterday. I was chugging away up the hill and lifted my head to see how much farther I had to go and I was almost at the top. I couldn't believe it. I had passed all the various mailboxes which are typically my visual goals that I bribe myself to go further by saying at least get to the blue mailbox and then you can walk. This time no bribes or visual goals were necessary I was already there.

I was so surprised and instantly started trying to mentally break down why and how this happened so effortlessly today. Yes, I do think that coolness of the day and the fact that I am getting in better condition played roles in why it was so much easier to reach the summit. But I think the big reason was actually due to the fact that my sun visor, down low, limited my range of vision.

I couldn't stare in the distance and worry about what was ahead. I couldn't focus on the bigness of the hill and how small it made me feel. I couldn't inwardly whine how I couldn't do it, because I couldn't even see what I would normally whine about. Instead all I could see was a few feet in front of me, the ground right before my feet and because that was all I could see that was all I had to worry about. I knew I could conquer those few feet so why stress about the other .33 miles of hilly journey up ahead. (I think the total distance of the hill is .69)

For me this is how I need to view my life. I need to focus and zero in on the few feet in front of me and not get bogged down with worry about the big hill ahead.

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Mathew 6:34

I need to limit my own range of vision since so often the reason I get depressed is because I want God to shout down from heaven what I am supposed to be doing with my life. When I think about the big picture I feel like I am wasting minutes, hours, days and years not doing what God really desires for me to be doing with the gifts he has given me. If I instead focus on the here and now, and the day to day way to life my live for His glory, it is a lot easier to comprehend and apply.

Sometimes the grand scope of things is just to GRAND and instead a little Carpe Diem, live for the now is necessary to keep my sanity. So what can I do now, keep praying, keep trying to change my broken ways and live more like Jesus.

Lord please help us to see the big and the small picture. Focus our vision so that we are able to run after the things you want us to commit our lives to. Give us a heart and drive for the things you want us to pursue in our everyday lives and show us Your path before every step we take. Narrow our eye line so that We see you in all things. Thank You for your God given gifts and abilities and please help us to use them more for Your glory.

Heaven helped me 6/9/09
Love Always,
A*