The Finish Line

Recently I shared with ya’ll that I am participating in a fitness challenge for the month of August.  I am on a quest to walk 50 miles during this month.  Baby, when I say that it has been a challenge….a challenge.  Bible Study Mama and I mapped out a couple of different routes.  First, we went for a long walk in her neighborhood.  The next day, we went for a long walk in mine.

We sailed through the first weekend like champions.  When I use the word “sailed”, I am actually exaggerating.  We fought to get those miles in.  Although I do not care for encouraging words when I am exercising, I found myself saying out loud “We can do this” and “We’re almost there.  Just keep pushing.”  When that did not seem to boost me, I started singing.  Gospel songs.  Out loud.  Bible Study Mama did not find this helpful.  I told her to sing along.  I won’t tell you what she said to me.  But we made it through the weekend.

Then our first actual week of workouts commenced.  The Lord was gracious and saw fit to make the weather milder for our first work-week workouts.  We were able to meet up later in the evenings and complete our walks.  Bible Study Mama chose our route, and I agreed.  Even though we were going to have to climb a steep hill twice.  The week actually went along fairly well.  We monitored our pace and saw some improvement.  But as the week wore on, we got tired.  Just plumb worn out.  And that hill looked steeper and steeper with every climb.

Friday arrived.  We had been faithful to our plan all week long.  I wanted to call her and tap out, but I didn’t.  We began our walk, but you could tell that neither one of us was really feeling it.  When I say we walked slowly, I mean we walked S…L…O…W…L…Y.  We were walking so slowly that a woman in slide in shoes zoomed past us and marched up the hill.  You know who did not care?  Us.  We were tired but determined to finish what we started.

We reached the bottom of the hill and looked at each other.  I asked Bible Study Mama just how long she thought it took us to climb this hill each time we reached it.  She guessed four minutes.  I told her it felt like it took that long, but I thought her estimate was a stretch.  I decided to time our slow ascent.  One minute…one long, sweaty, hard minute later, we were at the top.  Our walk was almost complete.  It took longer than usual, but who cares?  We finished what we set out to do.

Ya’ll I have to remind myself that I cannot quit.  I cannot quit when life gets hard and life has been getting hard for me.  I have been facing trials that are an uphill climb.  The hill is steep, and it seems like I have been trudging uphill forever.  I started out optimistic and lost my vigor along the way.  I went from singing to silence.  Ugggh.  But have not quit.  I am hanging on to Jesus with all that I have.  I do not know when I will reach the end of this challenge, but one thing is sure.  I will finish.  #wepreach