a body in motion tends to stay in motion

On more than one occasion when I’ve talked to people about my training for the marathon I’ve received a response like “Wow, that’s nice.  I wish I could do something like that.”  I then think back to the times when I thought the exact same thing.  Now having run a few marathons I  may look at people who run 50 miles -  and think that, but I’m more apt to think “I could do that, but why?”

What’s my point here.  Let me share another story.  I get the chance often to talk about my family’s adoption journey.  My wife and I adopted 3 children from China over a period of 6 years – all after our 42^nd birthdays.  We now have a wonderful family consisting of  two biological children, ages 23 and 9, and 3 adopted children, ages 8, 8 , and 10.  And people say things like “Wow, that’s nice.  I wish I could do something like that.”

When I started running I never thought I could run a marathon, let alone 5 miles.  It takes a lot of dedication, early morning runs in the cold, long runs on the weekends, and lots of ibuprofen.  When you can barely run a mile, 26.2 miles seems like climbing Mt Everest (and there are people who do that).  But after you are able to run a mile, 2 miles doesn’t seem so hard. After 2 miles, 5 becomes a possibility and so forth. 

We never planned on adopting three kids.  13 years after the birth of our son we thought we’d end up parents of an only child. And we were OK with that.  Hitting my 40^th birthday I wasn’t looking for an extended parenting career. Then my daughter came.  What an awesome, unexpected blessing she is.  But now after 2 kids, 3 doesn’t seem so hard.  So we adopted.  Well after 3 kids, you get the picture…but we did stop at 5!

You may not ever desire to run a marathon, or be called to adopt kids (though you may want to really inquire of God about that!).  But what may God be calling you to do and your response now is “Wow, that’s nice.  I wish I could do something like that”.  These adventures are not just for certain people.  One of my favorite passages from the Bible is James 5:17-18 

  “Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.  Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.” (NIV)

Wow!  Elijah, a great man of God – was just like us?  He challenged the prophets of Baal – and won!.  He prayed for a drought… and God answered.  He prayed for rain, and it poured!. 

One of the most important concepts of physics is this: “A body in rest tends to stay at rest, and a body in motion tends to stay in motion, unless the body is compelled to change its state.

Running involves motion.  The Christian race involves motion.  If you are not moving the tendency is to stay put.  If you are moving, it’s easier to move further.  Find out what God is calling you to do, look to Elijah (he was just like us, remember) or those saints in Hebrews 12 who have gone before us, or others whom God has used to inspire us…and

Run On!