The Year of the Marathon: One Day at a Time

I decided a little over a month ago that this year I'm going to run a marathon. 

A whole marathon. A whole 26.2 miles. All at once. Running.

This isn't something I ever, ever thought I would do or even want to do. It happened in January when I was on the phone with my friend Amanda. In the process of talking about resolutions for this year, she told me that she's running a marathon in November. She told me about a training schedule that she found that starts you out (at the beginning of March) at just three miles and adds miles on slowly, and as she was talking, I had this crazy idea: "Well... I could do that. ... I could do that!" 

I mulled it over for a month, and at the beginning of February I decided that I would do it. I, Emily, would run a marathon. 

So I had to start training just so that I could run three miles by the time March started. Throughout February, I consistently did two-mile runs, and on March 4, last week, I had my first three-mile run. I honestly didn't think it would go well. But it did. I ran three miles Monday, then three on Wednesday, three on Friday and four on Saturday. What? Me? I'm actually doing this? 

I went to visit Amanda this past weekend, so Friday and Saturday we went running together. She'll tell you what a miracle that is, because in college I refused to go running with anyone. But, much to my delighted surprise, running with someone is easier than running alone. She helped me keep a steady pace, she let me know how far we had gone, and she would occasionally turn to me and start singing whatever was playing on her iPod. Together, we finished our first week of marathon training. 

Only 36 weeks to go.

You may think I'm crazy (my roommates certainly do). The fact is that I try not to think about 37 weeks. I can't even think about how much running I need to do this week, let alone this month or this year. I get overwhelmed when I think about 26.2 miles, so I try not to think about it too much. But what I can think about is today. I can only think about it one day at a time.

Just like I can only take life one day at a time. In my growth and relationship with God, there are certain things I want to do, certain victories and consistent disciplines I want to have, certain struggles I want to overcome, a certain intimacy with God and joy in Him that I deeply desire. But I can't try to attain the fullness of those things all at once. I can only pursue God one day at a time. I can only rest in Christ's strength and choose righteousness one day at a time. I can only put off the old self and put on the new self one day at a time. Because I am weak, and God's mercies are new each day. Because I am hungry and empty, and God gives me daily Bread. 

Because God's Word is a lamp to my feet, not to the mile marker 26.2 miles down the road. 

Not surprisingly, relationship and pursuit of God is easier when I don't try to do it alone. When I have the encouragement and support (and humor and tears) of people who are running this race with me, I'm inspired and energized - I can keep running, even when it gets painfully difficult.

This year, I'm running a marathon and seeking to love God and know His love more fully. But, each day, I'm starting with today.