Not Being Frozen by Fear
Tuesday, October 20th, 2009I’m getting ready to do my morning run in a little while with my running buddy, Katie. She and I are training for the Mercedes Marathon
that’s going to be in February 2010. We’ve been training now for a couple of months and making good strides. Actually, I’m pretty proud of us for being consistent, upbeat and generally excited about accomplishing a goal that both of us are looking forward to. However, yesterday, I had a momentary setback in my enthusiasm.
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Coogan’s Bluff In the news yesterday, there was a story about three marathoners
who collapsed and died while running the Detroit race. It completely shocked me and scared me a bit because these were seasoned, veteran runners and relatively young in age. They were 26, 36 and 65, and were all quoted by their families as having been “in good shape, no prior medical conditions and no signs that anything was wrong.” So here I am, a newbie, about to run my first half-marathon, the same distance as those guys. But, it’s angsting me to know just why and how in the world these men could collapse and die from a sport that many medical professionals tout as healthy, beneficial and great for the body. I began doubting that this running thing is actually that good. Really?
Well, yes, really it is. I know that and many avid runners would agree with that as well. Although I spent most of yesterday in panic mode about pursuing my goal, I eventually prayed (should have done that first!) and asked God for peace in my heart about what I am about to pursue. Kenneth chided with me about not having heard from the authorities on what the cause was and asked me, “have they not called you yet??” because he knows I’ll stayed glued to something until it makes sense to me. This episode I’m afraid may never make sense to me, nor should I expect it to.
The more I considered the situation, the more I realized that I cannot live my life in fear and in anticipation of “what ifs.” Sure, I need to make good decisions, and yes I need to consider the consequences of my actions in all that I do, but to walk around always afraid to make a move? No, that’s not quality living nor is it the way God wants me to behave each day. As a matter-of-fact, fear is the absence of faith, and without faith…
So, I’m off now to meet my friend Katie, run a few miles, laugh, sweat and enjoy life a little. My life is held in the palms of my Father and all that I do is for my good.