Whenever I tell people I enjoy running they are often surprised. How could anyone enjoy an activity that makes you so tired and can be painful?
They're right. Running isn't easy. And sometimes the actual runs are arduous and painful. It takes work to accomplish any running goals I set and it takes time. But it is so rewarding. Starting a run is hard, but I always feel so rewarded and renewed when I am done.
We live in a world of comfort. Physically with nice houses, warm beds, reliable (mostly) cars and emotionally, with detached emails, facebook friends and text messages. These things aren't bad by themselves, but with all the comforts we have we are able to detach ourselves from life.
When you think about it, people search for and find all sorts of interesting ways to feel something. To feel emotional, to feel joy, to feel happiness, to feel pain. Some people find good outlets, but others turn to negative ones.
Life is about learning to find joy, and the journey to joy often means feeling pain. Adam and Eve left the garden of Eden for the privilege of feeling pain as well as joy. The last line of hymn number 124 - Be Still My Soul in our hymnbook says:
Throu thorny ways, leads to a joyful end.
Yes, feeling pain is hard, but it's not bad. Don't be afraid to feel good pain. It's just keeping us on the right path.
Running is hard. Running can be painful, but I've learned to embrace the pain and use it to work towards my goals.
Amy N. loves to run, play the piano and talk, a lot. With a cycling husband and two active boys she is always on the go. You can read about their adventures here.
