Broken Headphones

This week, I sat down. I rested.  

When I was in high school, my body went from fat to fit in the matter of a couple months. The constant salad, the constant miles, and the constant p90X workouts nearly killed my body. Needless to say, the wear and tear only allowed for 6 more months of this madness. I saw the need to slow down and catch my breath. After a couple years of maintaining the health of my body, I slipped down the slope once again. Here I am, year 2018, finding myself back in the daily grind of trying to gain my health back. I decided, with every bit of doubt and annoyance, that it was time to get back on the treadmill. So that I did, and God has been hacking away at my heart in the middle of it all.

Today I was at the gym, ten minutes into my run, and my headphones bite the dust. Do you know how awful it is to run without something to keep your mind off the pain?!?! Although it was atypical that I couldn't run to the beat of the hottest pop song on the charts or watch another episode of Young and Hungry, it forced me to actually look around. The girl in front of me on the elliptical was struggling to put her hair in a bun, the worker stopped to encourage a handicapped man who was struggling on the treadmill, a lady was talking to her mom on the phone and told her how much she missed her, and then, there was the man next to me. The man next to me was going ham on the treadmill. You know those people you see on youtube who wipe out on the treadmill from going way too fast? He embraced that speed and killed it for a solid amount of time. Probably faster than my stubby legs could ever go, but God taught me a very important lesson right there in that moment.

Part of me craved to pick up my speed and try to prove myself as worthy enough to run beside him, but I still had a long way to go. There would be no way to make it that long going the speed of which I would have to go.

So, once again, I shook it off and continued my run. As the minutes passed, and my lungs were struggling for oxygen, I continued the slow and steady pace. 

Look, my friends, God is not wowed by the hurry and scurry. Look at the big "head honcho" men of the bible. Look at how long God tested their faithfulness. Look at the Israelites, for example. God tested their faith over years and years of ups and downs. Time and time again, God poured out His grace on those who did not deserve it. If you look closely, can you see the love and patience driving that grace? Slow down, people, and enjoy who God is. Listen, and obey.

God doesn't dig the fast-paced lifestyle that we choose for ourselves. We become exhausted, drained, and weary in God's work that was originally designed to refresh and restore. He is more into the slower rhythms of life such as remaining steadfast, taking time to rest, the art of patience, and delighting in Him. 

This month has been a whirlwind for me as I am constantly having to embrace change. Change in family, change in friendships, and change in my daily routine. I find myself learning the art of contentment, as God has been using this season of change to hack away at my heart.

This week, I finally had time to rest. And although many would not consider running as resting, I found myself asking God to refill my cup once again, which I believe is the most essential to our spiritual growth. 

Slow down your tired soul and take out those headphones. You were never created to run sprints through life. If I wouldn't have broken my headphones, I would never have noticed that kind worker lend an ear to the handicapped man, the woman shedding love on her mom that she misses, the girl who almost fell off the elliptical while putting in a bun, and most importantly, the man that God used to teach me about slowing down and remaining steady. 

Remain faithful and steady, my friends, our king is coming.