Running is NOT Easy

Running,I am out of breath.

Walking, I breathe ragged, heart pounding, chest aching.

Who said running was easy? How did I learn that?

He said it definite, Him who knew, “In this world you will have trouble.”John 16:33

One who also recognized, states it clear, “Do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you.” 1 Peter 4:12

Yet here I am, surprised.

Others pound the pavement with apparent ease. I find each foot upon the ground, jarring.

Others speak words flowing, life radiant. I stumble and stutter, crumpled.

When did we learn to hide?

To hide the trials. Hide the stumbles, the stutters. Hide the crumples.

I wish I could run, enduring. Instead, I am frightened, helpless, seeking a place to cover.

Running is NOT easy. And I am weary of this race set before me. It feels strange to be homeless, without order, without familiar. I don't like it.

I pause to catch my breath.

The truth is, heart pounding and chest aching are a part of running.

They are a part of life.

The truth is, He is near, especially in this hard. And I like that.