Yesterday I went for a jog in the park. As a teenager, I used to
go jog 'the back road' almost every day for years. Running had become somewhat
a form of mediation for me, but the past year or so I have struggled to get
back into the habit. Finally, this week I discovered a chunk of time every
other morning that I could dedicate to a short morning jog, and I almost met my goal of 3
times a week.
Why I'm writing about jogging in the park is because as my mind
was drifting back to my teenage years, and how good it felt to be running
again, I noticed something. When I would reach the uphill part of my route, and
I began to tire quickly, I noticed that I tend to look at the ground directly
in front of me rather than a distant goal. I know that this seems contrary to
the ‘keep your eye on the goal’ philosophy, but somehow, focusing on where I
was right then made it easier to keep going.
As this thought finished, the words from a beloved hymn floated
through my mind:
"Keep thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene - one step enough for me
...
I loved to choose and see my path; but now,
Lead Thou me on!"
(Hymn # 97, Lead, Kindly Light)
Sometimes, from where we are in life, we can't
see the distance. We can't look ahead because it's unclear, and it's dark and we
get scared. We get anxious just thinking about the future because we can’t
see it- it’s out of our control and not going the way that we had planned! I still feel that way (a lot more than I should), but realizing that one step is indeed enough has helped me to free myself from unnecessary fears, concerns, and the need for control over my life.
My heart is on the goal - bringing myself and our family (whatever size it may be) back to the Lord's presence clean and pure - but my eyes, for now, are on the present. I don't need to know the details. I do not need to know why. What I do need to know and remember is that not only is it my goal and our goal to be worthy of eternal life, but it is the Lord's goal as well (see Moses 1:39) - and God does not fail!
