Lessons From Running in the Cold

Sometimes, I think that some of the most profound life lessons can be found in the simplest things. I went running this afternoon (yes, in the below-freezing weather!), and I realized that life is very similar to a run in the cold. I’m only a medium-distance runner, but there still comes a point where you don’t want to keep moving forward. Today, this came for me on the second-to-last stretch, as I ran along the empty country road, my feet splashing up slush and fighting the wind. My fingers were freezing, my cheeks were biting, and I couldn’t wait to go home to a nice, long, warm shower. But, I didn’t stop. Partially because it’s quicker to get home if I run, and partially because the most painful part of the run is when you grow the most. You don’t improve when you run in your “comfort zone”. You improve when you run past your comfort zone.

From this, I think we can draw a metaphor to life. Sometimes, life is like a vacation. We’re having fun, we’re enjoying yourself, we’re serving God, and everything’s going great. But other times, life is more like my run in the cold. We’re plodding through, and it’s difficult to see the reason for what’s going on in your life. At times, pain clouds everyday activities, pain for a dying loved one or a broken friendship. But at other times, life just gets tedious. Day after day, project after project, homework assignment after homework assignment. But these are the times when you grow in your relationship with God. Romans 5:3-4 tells us that “...suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” The times when we feel uncomfortable or out of our comfort zone are the times when God is molding us with His perfecting knife. He is making us more perfect creations, more able to serve Him later in our lives. Often, He is teaching us valuable lessons that we will need before we face our next challenge.

These can be some of the toughest times to trust that God has a plan. But He does.
Hebrews 13:5-6 is one of my favorite promises. “...God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?’” God is always with us - yesterday, today, when you take your math test and when you push through one more day. He wants us to keep plodding for His kingdom. And the reward is great for those who finish the race. 1 Corinthians 9:25 tells us we run to “get a crown that will last forever”.

I’d like to bring back to your mind the old metaphor about the road of life. Every road has hills and valleys, and life is no different. When we stand on the hills, it is easy to see how far we’ve come and how much we’ve grown. But when we walk through the valleys, it is difficult to see the road behind us or the road ahead of us. Both are there, but we are stuck in our valley with very little perspective. But God sees the whole road, and He will work everything out for good. So, wherever you are in your life, I encourage you to keep pressing on towards His kingdom. Running the race is well worth the prize.