First of all, I hate running. Sure, I like the feeling I get after running, but the process itself, not in the least. Add a treadmill and I’d rather jam a sharp stick in my eye than run. I do however enjoy running when I am in different places- a new city, a beach, a location other than home. Then it feels more like exploration than it does running. I can enjoy the cool morning air, and the unique sounds of where I’m at, and take in scenery that is foreign to me. It’s more adventure than exercise. This is why when I’m in Honduras, I get out and hit the road.
Over the many years, we have traveled together, my friend Bob would get up and join me. I remember the first time a few years ago, we were on some rocky hills and we would run a little, he would want to stop and rest, walk a bit, and then run again. It was hard for sure and at the time, he hadn’t been running all that much so it was even harder. I had a mix of emotions where I would feel bad for him because I knew how he felt, but also frustration because I didn’t want to slow down, I wanted to get it over with.
Fast forward a few years. Earlier this week, I was out running down the same hill. Actually, when I say running, what I mean is falling with one foot catching myself in alternating reps. It was more like lumbering. I was listening to my earbuds and quietly cursing myself for being there. Out of nowhere, Bob comes up from behind and just sprints right past me like a gazelle. A few minutes later after he reached the bottom and turned around, he smiled, high-fived me, and ran past me again on his way back up. I thought wow! I’ve gotten older and slower and he seems to have gotten younger and faster. He has put in the work, done the training, and has been consistent over time and the results are clear.
Anything meaningful worth doing is worth doing poorly...at first. It's a process, not an event.
"The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied. (Proverbs 13:4)
Diligence. Perseverance. Willingness. Discipline. Training. Consistency. All words that we don't like, but all words when taken together produce a result worth the effort.
It's the same with our faith, our work, our relationships, and our health. You simply cannot skip the training and fast forward to the result. You must go through the process and experience the incremental shift that's so subtle you don't even realize it's happening. That is one of the reasons we need to also surround ourselves with encouragers. People who are willing to fan the flames a little as we don't see the change that other people do as it never happens fast enough.
Get out today and do the road work. Yeah, it sucks, but it's the only way. If you desire a result bad enough go do something poorly, and keep doing it, consistently, over time, and pretty soon you will be sprinting past those people who used to encourage you to start. Then pass on some encouragement to others so they can sprint past you one day.
