treadmills

Well, one thing I've learned about training for a marathon in the spring in Central Illinois is that it's difficult. We've had such a tough winter (ice and snow covered sidewalks) that it's been impossible to run outside. Not to mention the really cold (like below zero) temperatures. Now, I've run in 15 below wind child before and it's really not too terrible, but you can't run on snow and ice...so I've done a lot of time on the treadmill. And by a lot, I mean ludicrous amounts of time. Last Saturday was a long run for me...I did 15 miles on the treadmill. Yeah I know! That's 60 laps on the little blip oval! That's a complete college basketball game and half of another! That's having to stop after 10 miles to reset the machine because it only goes up to 100 minutes! I think that distance on the treadmill is the most mind challenging thing I've ever done

Of course my mind wandered to preaching stuff. And here's the sermon about running on a treadmill for 15 miles. I didn't get anywhere. I ran in the same two by three foot rectangle for 2 1/2 hours. I ran fifteen miles but never left my basement. do you see where I'm going? It's possible to run, to sweat, to exert all kinds of energy and get nowhere!

I think the treadmill is probably one of the best illustrations our my life and your life sometimes. We get up every morning running and just run (to work, to events, to kids stuff, to activities, to church, to play, etc....) and really never get anywhere. Here's the question: Isn't it better to actually get somewhere when you run? Isn't it better to cover some ground? Isn't it better with a destination in mind? Think about these three questions in the context of your spiritual life today. Where are you going? Are you making progress toward the goal (Phil. 3:12-14) or are you just running in the same spiritual place you have been for the last several years. Man, get off the treadmill..it's just lousy running. Get out and get some air and go somewhere.

Hope that true this week for me both spiritually and physically.