She was excited, anticipatory, and ready to start the race. The urgency inside of her to begin running almost made her start before she was supposed to. At the sound of the gun, adrenaline surged through her veins. She took off like a bullet. Joy pulsated through her body igniting energy with each step. She was racing. She’d been waiting for this race: practicing and preparing. Finally the race had started. The high of this excitement lifted her whole being as though she were soaring on wings. Her first marathon had begun. The pace was set, or was it?
Spoiler Alert!
I’ve never run a marathon. At least not in the practical sense of an actual physical running event of 26.2 miles. Nevertheless, I’ve run other “marathons” in my life.
At the end of my blog post I share an announcement. You can skip to that if you want and not read about the huge lesson I’ve learned about running the race. But I hope you’ll take a few extra minutes to read my true story because I’m confident there’s inspiration and encouragement for you too.
True Story Ahead
A while back I began running a “marathon” of my own: writing a book.
I’ve also been testing my writing abilities, genres, and styles, which I enjoy very much. Each writing experience is like practicing different tempos, times, and structures.
I’ve discovered my voice. In a runner’s world, that’s like discovering which event you’re best at: sprints, middle distance, long distance, hurdles, relays, etc. It’s been an important part of my training, and I love it.
I also discovered I’m good at different kinds of writing, which is a cool discovery. It’s like discovering you’re good at sprints, hurdles, and long jump!
However, I overestimated what I thought I could handle even though I was good at more than one kind of writing. Because of this, I set lofty daily and weekly personal writing goals.
Have you ever tried to chew too big of a bite of steak and try to swallow it? I have. I’ve even had to spit it out for fear of choking.
All the writing I was doing for the multiple platforms and styles began to feel like I had bit off too much.
Plus, there have been times over the last couple of years I felt like I was choking, especially recently. I overestimated what I could actually chew. That is, I overestimated what I could achieve both in my writing world and my non-writing world.
In track and field it’s like I was training for a decathlon. Again, it’s been an important part of my training: testing to see what I’m good at and what I’m not, and what’s sustainable and what’s not.
Aggressive Pace Setting
The pace has been aggressive. Fast. Furious. Full.
Was it fun? Many times yes. But this aggressive pace has become frustrating.
Self-inflicted frustration. I don’t like admitting this, but it’s true. I created this frustration because I decided I had to do all of this all at the same time to get the results I was aiming for. You know, reach all the goals I had set to accomplish in order to accomplish the ones God set for me.
The process to accomplish all of the goals wasn’t sustainable. Although I’m talented at different kinds of writing and I enjoy the different platforms, it’s not sustainable for me right now.
Listen to Your Coach
In our training, God, our Coach, often allows us to go ahead and practice as we think we should. He allows us to choose how we’re going to get ready or “fit” for the race. He has determined the race He wants us to run, but sometimes He also allows us to choose too.
He waits for us to come to Him and seek His advice. He waits for us to acknowledge He knows best which race is the right race for us at the right time, and then how to get “fit” for this race.
Many times over the last couple of years I have sought God for advice, but then I “added” to His coaching advice. Hence, the self-inflicted frustration.
Thanks to a blessed friend of mine, I’ve been reading Max Lucado’s book Just Like Jesus. As I read, I realized the pace I’ve set for myself wasn’t my Coach’s pace.
He didn’t want me to sprint.
My book-writing marathon started with inspiration, energy, and gusto. Unfortunately, I ran too fast for the first part of the marathon and then pooped out. Because I approached writing a book like a sprint at first, I gave up. I quit my book-writing marathon. I couldn’t sustain that pace especially when I realized how far it was to the end.
Writing a book is a long and slow process. I wanted faster, shorter writing distances to feel like I was accomplishing. Of course, my Coach knew I needed coaching. I knew I did too.
Unfortunately, I sought others for coaching for different types of writing races than the one God wanted me to run. While I know I need to build an online platform, I lost sight of my original assignment, and I made the daily and weekly blog posts, the technical writing, and the images I was creating my goals. I set aside the book writing.
Basically, I started entering other races. I stopped running my book-writing marathon. These other shorter races were good. But I determined they were more necessary because I thought I needed to do all these first to truly prepare me for the book-writing marathon again.
However, always in the back of my mind I’d feel this nudge to get back to writing my book. At this point, I didn’t know how I could possibly fit it all in.
You see, I had entered myself into a decathlon and my Coach allowed this to happen. I’ve learned I’m not a decathloner. (I’m not sure that is a word, but I just made it one.)
I can’t participate in all these different types of writing events when God has assigned me a book-writing marathon.
Today, reading Just Like Jesus, my eyes were opened. I heard my Coach loud and clear. The time has come to enter the book-writing marathon again.
Starting the Steady Pace
A new pace has been set.
Much like marathon runners have to go through a personal fitness analysis to determine their specific endurance, which is based on the combination of past performance, personal goals, current ability, and mentality, I’ve had to determine my specific endurance based on these same components.
After quite a bit of assessing my fitness level as a writer, and after assessing I’m also a full-time employee, wife, mom, grandma, sister, friend, etc., and the fact that I actually do have some specific assignments from God, I now know what I actually can handle. I’ve come up with a structure specifically for me as a writer in this season of my life.
It’s time to start the steady pace of a long-distance runner.
Announcement: Making Changes to Blog Posts
I love the process of writing. I find great pleasure in crafting the message. I love the process as much as the result. The problem is I’ve bitten off too much writing especially in relation to other important aspects of my life.
Besides being encouraged by Lucado this week, my brother’s voice of encouragement ignited a spark in me too. I also had lunch with a friend this week and her questions about writing and how do I do it all challenged me. Loving my family and realizing the importance of that purpose inspired me too. Last night I went the movie, “I Can Only Imagine.” I was inspired again. All of these events this Holy Week reminded me why I’m in the writing race.
I am to lead people to Jesus, lend my faith. I am to encourage your hearts. I am to inspire grit.
It was good to be reminded why I’m in the race.
Once again, I turned to Jesus and asked Him to be my Coach. I asked a tough question: “Which race to do you want me in?” He wants me to re-enter the book-writing marathon.
This is why I’m making some changes to my writing events especially my blog posts.
While I truly enjoy writing these longer weekly blog posts, they take a lot of time to write. I’m postponing them until further notice. With my time I’m going to begin writing my book again.
Morning Musings
However, God, my Coach, wants me to continue writing “Morning Musings.” As I hang out with God alone every morning, He instructs and encourages me. I, then, write a short daily inspirational message I believe may also encourage and inspire others.
I’ve been posting my “Morning Musings” on my public Facebook page. But starting Monday, April 2, 2018, I’ll be sharing these on my blog. This means those of you who subscribe to my blog through email will receive a daily Monday-Friday “Morning Musing.”
I want to lend my faith, encourage your hearts, and inspire grit. My purpose and desire is not to annoy you by inundating you with emails from me. So, you can choose to read these “Morning Musings” or not.
My purpose in sharing these on my blog is to stay connected to you, share what God is teaching me, and pass it on to you with the hope that you will experience the amazing hope and joy that only comes through a relationship with Jesus.
Life can be challenging and I know I need constant daily encouragement. I figure if I do, others do too. I also know God has gifted me with the spiritual gift of encouragement. So if I don’t invest in this talent, I am not serving God the way I’m supposed to be. I’m thrilled He is going to allow me to continue daily writing and daily connecting with you. Because, after all, I’m also a people person!
I’m excited, anticipatory, and ready to start the steady pace of my book-writing marathon.
I’m also excited to share my “Morning Musings.”
Always to Jesus be the glory and honor as we each learn to listen to our Coach for the best race we are to run.
Leave a Reply