Glide Over The Rough Things

Thought for Today: GLIDE OVER THE ROUGH THINGS Jogging is a world of experience by itself. After 3 miles or so, I felt a pain in my left leg. Not a major pain, it just felt like the beginning of a cramp. I began to limp. I didn't want to put any excess pressure on the leg because I had over three miles to go even if I turned around and headed straight back, and I wasn't at the halfway point yet. Something said, "Glide." Glide? I began to notice how I was running with the limping action. My gait was uneven. It was awkward. I didn't know the exact kinetics, but I knew the un-rhythmic motion was putting additional strain on my leg muscles. So I began to glide. I focused on running smoothly. I let my feet touch the pavement as light as possible. Like a swan skimming over a lake, I concentrated to make each step as graceful as possible. Within a minute, my left leg felt fine. It was a MountainWings Moment. Often when pain hits us, we lose our grace and become awkward. We shuffle, stumble, bumble, weave, wobble, hobble, and stagger. If we just glide and stay smooth, often the pain goes away, because the rough motion makes it worse, not better. Someone criticizes us. . . OUCH! We shuffle, stumble, bumble, weave, wobble, hobble, and stagger. Someone offends us. . . OUCH! We shuffle, stumble, bumble, weave, wobble, hobble, and stagger. Someone has a difference of opinion. . . OUCH! We shuffle, stumble, bumble, weave, wobble, hobble, and stagger. Someone doesn't respond the way we think they should. . . OUCH! We shuffle, stumble, bumble, weave, wobble, hobble, and stagger. Instead of maintaining our peace, the smooth gait, we become frustrated. That makes the pain worse, not better. Instead of forgiving and forgetting, we retaliate and remember. That often makes the pain worse. Many of life's pains would go away if we'd just learn to glide. Yes, it hurts, but the shuffling and stumbling usually doesn't help. While jogging (or with any exercise) if pain starts, it's usually wise to just stop. This was more a spiritual revelation yet, it applied to physical things. If we can keep our movements, thoughts, emotions, and spirit smooth, that often takes us right over the rough things. --author unknown to me "That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are quite small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever! So we don't look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever." 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NLT "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. 2We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish.[a] He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy he knew would be his afterward. Now he is seated in the place of highest honor beside God's throne in heaven. 3Think about all he endured when sinful people did such terrible things to him, so that you don't become weary and give up." Hebrews 12:1-3 NLT