The Question that Changed It All...And the Dummy that Asked!

The first time I said it out loud was in the weekly staff prayer time on Monday. I said it, and I'm not entirely sure if I even know what was going on inside of me.

Let me back up and start in the beginning.......no, no, not quite that far back; just to January two years ago.

I received a phone call from Jimmy Carr a few days earlier asking for some New Year's resolution that he could put in his article for the newspaper. Not even really thinking about the accountability, I spouted of the standard: "Lose weight", "Work out more", the typical week long resolutions. And I must say for about five weeks I was awesome. But then, nobody was checking, results had slowed, it was time to rest until "Monday" or "Til it is warmer" or I really didn't need an excuse but it made me feel better about being a slacker!

By spring of that year, life became an absolute whirlwind of activity and change (more on that another time), and I completely forgot about being healthier and simply wanted to stay afloat!

Fast forward to May, 2010. During sermon prep for our Senior Sunday, I decided to go with a running theme, mainly because it fit the seniors idea of how fast to get out of town after graduation but also because I had been inspired to start running after watching yet another season of "The Biggest Loser". In my sermon on May 23, 2010, I said publicly (and yes there is recorded evidence) that I was committing to running a 5k with the hopes that some day I might run a marathon. Now by "hopes to some day run a marathon", I mean wish I could wake some day and someone else ran a marathon in my body and i got the credit for it.

Never the less, I started a mild running work out a couple of days a week and before long was actually starting to enjoy it. I got extremely distracted in the summer(again distracted means lazy). Then fall came around I began to focus once again. I was pleased with my overall progress while knowing if I wanted I could push myself more and do even better (I didn't push harder). I began to share with people my plan of running in the annual Turkey Trot in Dallas over Thanksgiving. I was prepared enough so that I thought I would do OK and seemed to outwardly be content with that. Then distraction showed up( and by distraction I am referring to my friend Arie who managed to have two extra tickets to the Cowboys' Thanksgiving Day game against the Saints and did I mention they were in a suite). I know right - God really doesn't want me to run!

Alright I know you are wondering where I'm going with this, but that brings me to a few weeks before Christmas when my disappointment began to get the better of me and I committed to run with Amanda and some friends in the Oklahoma Memorial Run on May first. Planning on settling for the 5k or perhaps stretch to a 10k but no way I could or would do more than that. Then by default of options, I was talked into committing to a half marathon - 13.1 miles - that's a really long way to run - surely you must be joking!

And that brings me to Monday's prayer. Somewhere inside, God had put it on my heart to ask for prayers of endurance and encouragement as I prepared for the run. But as I made my request aloud, it came out in words that were not my own:

"I just wanted to try something that I wasn't sure was even possible. Something that wasn't guaranteed that I would accomplish. It's been a while since I tried anything like that."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing come out of my mouth! Not my words but my true heart and feelings! I have thought about that for a couple of days now and am excited that I said it. Excited that I was dumb enough to ask myself the question:

"What can I attempt to to do that I can't do on my own?"

So there it is........What are you trying to do that there is no guarantees, no safety net, and no way you can do it alone?" If your answer is nothing then I truly believe that like me up until Monday, you are missing out on one of the greatest gifts God is longing to give you: HIS power, HIS Strength, HIS abilities, and HIS support.

I have no idea how this race will turn out, but I know that on Sunday May 1st, I've got a meeting with God and it won't be from my perch at Wilbarger St, but on the streets of OKC. And I can't wait to see What HE does in my body that I get to give Him the credit for!

PS All prayers appreciated!