DO Diligence

Sometimes I like being lazy.

Some of my best memories from this summer are the quiet, lazy moments I've had with my family...lying on the couch doing nothing but watching Sponge Bob with my son...listening to the quiet as I stand outside my daughter's door and watch her sleeping late...sitting still so my cat can purr on my lap and rest.

Don't get me wrong, we had excitement, went on trips and drove and played hard, went to the movies, gave birthday parties, shopped and swam. But the lazy times--and the fact that I was so conscious of the fact that I was being lazy--are what I'll hold on to when the vigor of school life and teaching kick up again in the next few weeks.

Sometimes lazy is exactly what you need. Rest. Respite. Deep breaths of nothingness.

But sometimes, laziness can become a way of life. I know, because I used to be very lazy in my former days, and still, I have days when the temptation is there in the form of procrastination. But there is much to do, I know this now, "and miles to go before I sleep. And miles to go before I sleep."

Lately, I'm learning endurance. Lately, I'm learning that you can't take shortcuts to greatness or great achievements. I'm learning it the hard way, the only way...through enduring. I'll just admit to the world that I'm training again for a big race--bigger than I've ever run. This race is so big, it's God-big for me, and I need a big God to see me through. I just began training two days ago, and although I've run 1.5-3 miles regularly this summer in this amazing heat, things are heating up. I'm waking up early (for me) and being diligent to eat and drink properly, to have the right clothing and shoes, to get my mp3 player loaded and ready. And when I open the door and the humidity is so thick you could spread it like butter, I head out and take step after step because I have to do my due diligence in this training. There are no easy steps. There are no shortcuts. I have to do this right. Knowing this gets me out of bed when the alarm goes off and my head tells me to hit snooze again.

Why am I training again? After all, I ran my first half-marathon in January. For a non-runner like me, isn't that enough? Isn't it enough to have run a half-marathon and check that off my bucket list? Once upon a time, I would have told you yes. But now, something else has taken over. This learning endurance has changed the way I do things. I don't just like having run the race, I like Running.

Meet ED and ING

I used to spend a lot of time with ED. You know him. He's the guy that tells you what you've done before. How you livED in such and such house that was bigger than the one you're in now. How you lookED much younger ten years ago. How you lovED the way you felt when you were dating your soon-to-be-spouse. How he treatED you differently. Yes, ED can keep you mired in the past. Spending time with ED prompts sighs and oh wells and discontentment with your current situation.

Alternately, ED can make you feel better about yourself than you really should. ED can promote laziness and cutting corners, if you don't keep an eye on him. I remember several years ago, I was working with my very talented and patient out-of-house editor, Rachelle Gardner. I think we'd come to a sticky spot in a manuscript I was working on, when I felt like I didn't have any choices. I attempted to do the easiest thing to fix said problem when Rachelle saw right through it and set me in my place. Sure, I had published three or four novels at the time and thought I had it going on, but as she put it, You can never rest on your laurels. You have to keep challenging yourself to get better and better. Or something to that effect. At first it felt like a bee sting, but the more I rubbed it, the truer it rang.

I was quite pleased to have written. I WROTE several novels. Those were the laurels I was resting on. What I've come to understand fully these days it that it doesn't mean a hill of beans what I did in the past. Big deal. The past is where ED lives and where he wants to keep me.

Now, meet ING. She's young and hip and the future. She has momentum and good ideas. She picks me up and keeps me going. What matters is what I am doING now. What am I doing now? I am writING. I am runnING, trainING, lovING, livING, constantly movING forward, growING in my faith, learnING, listenING, waitING, wantING, laughING, blessING, honorING, hopING, expectING good things.

Who cares if I did all these things in the past? That was then and this is now.

So how about you? Who were you before? Did you like that person? Yes? No? Did you do things you were proud or ashamed of? What matters is what you DO from this moment on. Are you likING the person you are now?

I listened to a sermon by Christine Caine not long ago and she said something to this effect: Some people get mired in what God once did in their lives. I've done this. I watched God do mighty things with my marriage, my children, and my career. I told everyone about these things. I couldn't help it. Look what God did! But Caine said something that perked up my ears. She said it is wonderful what God has done in your life, but don't get stuck there. Look around you. What is God doING now?

I don't know about you, but I want to see God movING in my life all the time. Sometimes, when it seems life has stallED like an old stubborn car, it takes doING the small things again, the diligent things, to start seeING God's presence. Little things that may not seem like much. Reading scripture every day like brushing your teeth. Hugging your children. Smiling at your spouse. Washing the dishes. Cleaning the house. Lacing up your shoes and heading out the door to get some exercise. When ED seems to have deceived you into thinking that God once movED in your life and never will again--don't believe it. Start being diligent in the little things and watch how sometimes the little things are more important than you think.

Final Illustration
I've been thinking about this topic for a while, but I read an article in the Post and Courier today about a man who was a disgruntled employee at a dialysis clinic in West Columbia. He had been suspended for luring elderly people into the clinic and supplying them with narcotics. Upset that he had been asked to leave the facility, he allegedly sneaked back in that Saturday night and poured bleach into the water tank that was to be used for the dialysis machines.

"We believe that this individual, with full knowledge and intent to harm or kill these clients coming in for dialysis, that he knew what he was doing and that this would kill the patients who would receive this contaminated water while they underwent dialysis treatment in the clinic," (Sherriff) Metts said.

Apparently there were 20 patients scheduled for treatment on Monday. Twenty lives about to be taken.

"Thank goodness, his plan failed due to the fact that the technicians, even though they had checked the water on Saturday afternoon after they finished all of their clients for the day and took no clients on Sunday and was going to begin back on Monday, they went through their checks and found the high contamination of the chlorine in the water," Metts said.

Thank goodness, indeed. It seems that God worked in a mighty way that day, sparing the lives of those 20 people and thwarting such an evil plot. And how did he work? Through diligence. The technicians could have cut one little corner and not tested the water. They'd probably done it a thousand times with no issue. But they decided to take the time and do it one more time.

^"Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress.  Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers." 1 Timothy 4:15-16

What is it that you are so tired of doing? Did you do something great once and now you're tired and ready to pack it in? Are you not seeing results quickly enough in your diet or exercise, in your prayer life, in your love life, in your walk with God? It doesn't have to be so difficult. The tortoise really does win the race because he moves along diligently and doesn't give up.

I'll remember my own words in a couple days when I set out for my next run in this Lowcountry heat. The old me would have given up long ago, I assure you, but the new me knows I have an all-Powerful God ever-present in my life, livING, and lovING, and coachING me to the finish line.

Keep Running

Seven weeks ago today, I was sitting in church, listening to the pastor speak about how God uses unlikely people to do amazing things. You can see it all throughout the Bible--the young David defeating the giant Goliath, Abraham and Sarah giving birth to a nation in their old age. Often, the more unlikely the person, the greater the victory for God. Where we are weak, he shows his strength "so that no man can boast". It cannot be the person, it must be God. So it got me thinking, what am I highly unlikely to do?

Something came to mind instantly: run a marathon.

Huh? What?

I am the least likely person to ever run a marathon. In sixth grade, I could barely run a mile. If I ever exert myself, I get this knife in the throat sensation, something I've always self-diagnosed as exercise-induced asthma. This has been my limitation my whole life. There are runners and there is me. The two do not mix.

I talked this over with God and he assured me I can trust him. I do trust him, so I said okay. I cannot do this, but if you want me to, You can. I downloaded a document from Fitness Magazine on how to train for a half-marathon in 8 weeks for beginners. It said if you can run two miles, you can do this.

I'd never run two miles in my nearly four decades of life.

That day, I set out on a painful journey where I had to pray for every step, pray for the breath, for the pain in my throat to go away. I felt things jiggling in places I never knew existed. It was excruciating. It was elating, because God brought me through. I told him, "I will take the steps if you will meet me." And he did. When I completed 2 miles in 30 minutes (that's 2 15-minute miles), he said, "You can do this. I got you." And I began my training the next day.

I have been faithful to take the steps. I have woken up at 5 AM and run in the dark just to get my run in before I had to hop on a  plane. I have blessed the houses I passed, prayed for the people I passed. I have been blessed with an old woman on a walker who told me to Keep Running. I have been blessed with people who have prayed for my runs because as I tell them, I am not a runner, but God is. I've never experienced such an amazing growth in faith by learning endurance and learning to pray for every step.

My family used to laugh at my running style, arms rigid so I wouldn't get cramps. If you see me now, you might watch a left hand raise in praise as I am blown away by his faithfulness to me. He has healed my "exercise induced asthma." He has taught me how to breathe. He has taught me self-discipline. When I run, I ask him to take captive my lungs, my heart, my legs, my mind, and he does. It is an awesome ride. Some days are very difficult still, but I am faithful to meet him on the road because he is faithful.

To make matters more interesting, for the past three weeks of my training, I have been fasting. Normally, I would not mention this private matter, but for these purposes, it illuminates how totally awesome God's work has been. Yes, I gave up caffeine and had to run on water only. I gave up seafood (I don't eat meat), dairy and breads and pastas and wine and all sweets and sweeteners. When I was out of town and all that was served was barbecue, I had to survive on a bag of peanuts, and He ran 8 miles with my body that weekend  in Jefferson, TX. Can you imagine how my faith has grown? In doing the Daniel fast, I felt a bit like Daniel. No, I don't need to eat what the king eats, feed us fruits and vegetables and our God will show up and give us strength.

And boy, has he.

I am not a special person, no more special than you. But I have learned that God wants to do great things though me. And He wants to do them through you, too. He wants us to draw closer to him. He wants us to thirst only for him. When I run, he is my water, he is my bread. I would not trade these hard 7 weeks, running and walking anywhere from 8-28 miles per week, for anything.

Yesterday, after training for 7 weeks, I ran my first race - 9.4 miles (15K) in the Charlie Post run on Sullivan's Island. I won't go into all the details here, but let me just say that not only did I run that race, but God gave me a running companion I would have never guessed as well -my sister-in-law, Megan. Her plan was to run, walk, run, walk her way to the finish line, and when she caught up to me in the third mile, she stayed with me and my pacing and ran the whole way. I prayed for her the whole way and I was witness to her amazement as she passed each mile marker. We encouraged each other and praised God mile after mile. And though we came in almost last, we finished that race together at a 12:30-mile pace.

This is only the first race, God-willing, and hopefully a half-marathon is in my very near future. After that, who knows?

I am learning endurance. I am learning that God will put people in my path at just the right time to encourage me and keep me going in the right direction. I am learning that in running by Him, for Him, through Him, and to His glory, I am running a miracle.

And I believe in miracles. I have seen many in my lifetime. And I needed to share this with you, for you see, I am still not a runner, but He is. Through me.

Now tell me, seriously, what are you highly unlikely to do that you have always admired in others but was simply impossible for you? Dare you talk it over with God? It might be an interesting and life-changing journey to begin. God speed.