Finishing this run yesterday I was proud. It was the farthest I've ran in a while and it came naturally. I have been trying to get to this point all of 2016. Funny how this time 2 years ago, 4 miles would be considered my easy run for the week.
Sometimes, what you used to consider a "warm up," becomes a milestone. You are going to have times where you can breeze through a 4 mile run and your milestone is actually a 10 miler. But there are other times in life where that 4 miles is something you didn't know you could accomplish. I believe these are called seasons.
Currently, the season of change is all around me. Life is very fluid at the moment and let's be honest, quite open-ended. (Yikes, even that phrase makes me want to shut down..deep breaths). Everyone likes to remind us twenty-somethings that this time in our life will be like the blink of an eye, so we should embrace it! And I undoubtedly believe them. But for this 24 year old who forgets she's not still 19, constant change outside of my control is HARD. Especially when I think to the future and realize that change is not it's own season; life is change. Sure there are times where more things are changing at once, like where I'm at right now. But as we grow, it is only natural for our lives to look different.
Some of our path will feel like running up Mt. Everest. Other parts will be a smooth descent. Our runs become longer, then shorter. They may get faster, or slow down. I think it is important to remember that running through the change is not without purpose. We are all given our own "race" to finish and I love what Paul says in 2 Timothy:
“This is the ONLY race worth running. I’ve run hard right to the finish, believed all the way. All that’s left now is the shouting - God’s applause!”
As I think about the struggle of dealing with change this Scripture creates encouragement. I can know that as the hard stuff hits my Creator is beside me in the thick of it, coaching me and cheering me on. He knows these hard race places. Why, didn't he live them? Although I may not understand why everyone seems to be moving into a different season without me, I can know that what may look like upheaval, is at the very least drawing me closer to my Savior.
So even though it hurts, all the change is worth it. Even though it's hard, it leads me to the finish line. And even though I can't see the whole picture, the Creator can and He is there shouting His applause.