Today I'm teaming up with Hearts at Home and blogging on the topic of Love Your Failures. As a side note I haven't forgotten about my Howl at the Moon race report. Or the many other posts I've started recently. I keep working on things, but can't seem to get it all written out or keep my eyes open long enough to get it finished.
Interestingly my failure to blog often brings a lot of criticism from none other than ME! I feel like I have a desire to blog, even to have a very successful blog & yet it just doesn't happen. Maybe it's God's way of telling me that despite what I want it's not what He has in mind for my life. That's a tough one to admit when we as humans think we know what's best. And sometimes we are right, but other times not so much.
Another big area in my life that I carry a lot of perceived failure is my running. Crazy, right?!?!? And don't get me going on my extreme lack of runner's body. Massive fail! Anyway, I know deep down inside what my running looks like for ME right now is pretty ideal and outright awesome. I think the issue stems way deeper and more of the fact that I had a lot of running talent & potential when I was younger. I realized it way too late and by then it was wasted. My opportunity to really shine was past me. My husband gave me great perspective once & said if I had gone down the road of a successful running career I might not have met him or had 6 kids that we have together. So sometimes what are failure are in life actually lead us to bigger, better things that God has in store for us.
Many would argue that my running has never been a failure. Or if the runner that I am now is hardly a failure. Am I a world class runner with the fastest times in the world? No. Will I ever run in the Olympics like I dreamed about when I was younger?.....ok, who am I kidding, I STILL dream about it....No. Will I ever grace the cover of Runner's World? Probably not (although I'm still holding out for that phone call!!). But none of that translates into my running being a failure. I may only influence, inspire, encourage, coach, train, etc. a small portion of the people in this world through my running (or my blog), but as long as I reach someone then my running has been a great success! And knowing what I have accomplished, even if it's not on an elite level, makes me pretty proud of myself.
Blogging and my running are only a small portion of who I am. I could go on and on and on and on about my list of failures about myself. Luckily none of who I am in human flesh has anything to do with who I am in Jesus Christ. It is a constant fight against the flesh, one that will never be won in this world, but I rest in and am encouraged by moments of truth that I am not a failure at all. So when God tells me or reminds me that who and what I am is perfect & wonderful to Him, I need to listen and apply those truths to my life.
What are some of your "failures"? How do you deal with them?
Head over to Jill Savage's blog and read her thoughts on the topic, plus find the link up to other blogs participating in the blog hop.
You know that I think you are an incredible runner - you have done things that many people will never even think about trying!!!
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