It’s A Marathon, Not A Sprint

No truer words have been spoken or written.

Before I became pregnant with my son, I began to adopt a healthier lifestyle of eating and working out. I began to lose weight, become stronger physically and mentally and love myself as I should. And even throughout my pregnancy I worked out and ate as healthy as  possible (the fight against cravings was very hard). Needless to say, after my son was born, I was eager to get back to what had become my normal. Throughout  my pregnancy instead of enjoying it to the fullest, my mind was always focused on the end and “my” post pregnancy plans.

Before 2017, I struggled with my self confidence, loving me and my weight. So, once I finally started getting things in order and loving myself, I got pregnant and all I could think about was how my body was going to change and the work I would have to put in to get back to me. Crazy, right? Honestly, the struggle was very real and it was a fight all nine months and after.

The struggle was so real, that during labor, I even asked my doctor when I would be able to workout again and get back to “my normal routine.” At my four week appointment, my doc gave me the all clear and told me to listen to my body. Even though I was given the all clear, my body was still healing. You would think that I would take that into consideration, seeing how I just carried and delivered a small human. LOL!    But all my mind could think about was getting back to “myself.” During that four week appointment, I was never so excited to get the all clear.  It was like  Christmas in June. I was so excited that I would be able to do something other than go for walks. Very soon after that appointment, God made it very clear Who was in control and “my plans”were just that, “my plans,” not His. He also reminded me of the saying, ‘Its a marathon, not a sprint.”

In time, I will be able to get back to my physical self, but I truly needed to enjoy the process and allow my body to heal. The weights, gym, spin classes will be there when I’m ready. He also showed me, life is not always about planning and being in a rush and moving from one thing to the other. whether good or bad, sometimes you have to work through things and enjoy the process. As a natural planner, I’m always wanting to move from one thing to the next. This has caused me to not enjoy life, but in reality, to rush through life. Sad, I know. Why would I rush through life, when God has blessed me with so much, such as my beautiful family? And additional confirmation came from a conversation with my aunt (my mom’s sister). During our conversation, I was talking about getting back to “my normal” and she said, “you need to relax. You need to live.”

I haven’t been living. I’ve been rushing through life, hitting the high points and not enjoying the ride. Sad. When she said that, I realized something has to give. A change has to be made. I have a husband and two beautiful children that need me to live and enjoy life, not rushing to the next stage. It’s funny, not long before I had my son, some friends and I were telling another friend that marriage is a “marathon and not a sprint.” One would think that I would take my own advice. NO MORE SPRINTING. IT’S TIME TO LIVE ON PURPOSE AND ENJOY LIFE.

Are you SPRINTING? Or are you running in this life at a STEADY MARATHON pace?

24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.- 1 Corinthians 9:24 (NKJV)

12 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. -Hebrews 12:1-2 (NKJV)

Much love to you all,

Steph