About three years ago at this time, I was training to run my first (and only) full marathon.
This was DEFINITELY a God thing, kind of another one of those “impossible” experiences He asked me to pursue. I learned A LOT , and some days I still question if I really did finish (I did. And didn’t actually meet Jesus that day. Although it felt a little touch-and-go at times).
Now that I’m back to running again, and it is actually FUN (what?!?!) for me and a form of stress relief, I was remembering that crazy marathon training experience.
It should come as no surprise that following Jesus is certainly more of a marathon, not a sprint… As are all of the other acts of obedience He calls us to pursue.
For the last almost-18-months (ever since the birth of my son), I’ve been on a God-mission to get fit and be FREE from the back and forth fitness/weight loss struggle. (Side note: The full story is for another time, and I know I will be working on staying fit and growing in this area of my life pretty much for the REST of my life, but stay with me here).
I’ve been doing Ideal Protein protocol for almost 11 months now. It’s been a challenging journey, but I’ve seen success and feel better than ever before.
Unfortunately, the enemy of my soul also knows this information. And I don’t think he liked the fact that I was feeling great emotionally, physically and mentally. That big Jerkface doesn’t fight fair and totally caught me off guard.
I am in the final few weeks of my IP journey. I am very close to reaching my BMI (Body Mass Index) for the first time ever in my adult life. (My goal is the VERY top of my BMI, because even being THERE seemed impossible to me… But hey, this is God led so…) I was close to finishing, but honestly- I was tired. I was just ready to be D-O-N-E. 11 months is a long time to do anything, especially follow relatively strict eating protocol.
In order to avoid being obsessed with the scale (as it happened back in 2014– yet another story for another time), I prayed and the Lord told me that we would wrap up this portion of the journey starting September 1, regardless of what the scale said (I’m still confident He will get me where I pray to be in that regard).
So, I’m in the homestretch of this, right? Out of nowhere– Satan attacks, and he comes at me HARD. I’m suddenly hungry all the time, my emotions flare up, my brain starts to spin, I feel frantic and defeated, especially at meal time. Of course, they were all lies, but I was becoming overwhelmed.
I was SO CLOSE to throwing in the towel and listening to the whispers. “That’s close enough. Be done. God has done all he is going to do. You deserve to treat yourself.” Blah, blah, blah.
Now, if GOD was the one prompting me to be released, I would have done the happy dance and called it good. But there was no peace in this decision. Yes, I’ve seen HUNDREDS of victories over the last year, and because I’m a believer in Christ, I was spiritually victorious even at my heaviest and unhealthiest season of life (although I felt like YUCK most of the time).
But as much as I wanted to quit, I didn’t. God brought to mind the experience of running the marathon and the emotional turmoil I felt right around mile 20.5. (I talked with another gal who has run several marathons, and she said that mile marker is always one that makes her doubt too!)
I remember that I was exhausted. The 20 previous miles and the elevation (Life Tip: If you ever run a marathon, don’t let your inaugural one have 2100 feet of elevation gain #duh) had taken its toll. And at mile 20.5, it started to rain. Cold, end-of-October-almost-November-in-Oregon rain.
I was so. mad. Like raging made. I internally yelled at God, “reminding” Him I prayed to hold off the rain till I got back to the car. I was freezing. I was tired.
But it’s not like I was going to quit. Mile 20.5 is too far in to just give up and sit down on the side of the road.
I completed that marathon (by the grace of Jesus) and lived to tell about. And I got through those emotional and doubt-filled weeks of my current fitness/eating journey.
So what did I do? I spent extra time in prayer. I slept on my decision to “call it good” and had renewed strength in the morning. I SLOWED DOWN to breathe and asked the Holy Spirit to control me, especially at meal time when I was likely to get all worked up.
Now, my meals are an act of worship. I’m eating mindfully, thanking God for every bite and victory, both on and off the scale.
Friends, if you are running your own marathon and fighting through mile 20.5, stay with it. God will see you through to completion. Your marathon could be an actual running marathon, or maybe it is a food/fitness quest, mental health balance, parenting, career, relational or educational goals.
You’ve come too far to quit now. Let’s press on together, to claim our victory in Christ and accomplish something only HE can do.
Pressing on,
“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” ~Philippians 3:13-14
