Awkward Runner

I feel like one of those awkward runners. I have bee thinking a lot about running recently, and about running in a race. I want so badly to just put on my running shoes, turn on my iPOD and just go, just run. But my body disagrees with this. Since injuring my left knee this past summer and my chronic flare up of my bursitis in my left hip I feel like my body is against me. I am trying to find the balance between pushing my body when there is pain, and not hurting myself further, or permanently. How do you find balance? This is also causing me to feel unmotivated because I know it is going to hurt, and then I get frustrated and feel defeated. 

This has got me to thinking about running in a different race as well.  As Christians, we have a race to be run. 

Hebrews 12:1

 ¹ Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

1 Corinthians 9:24

 ²⁴ Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

Galatians 5:7

 ⁷ You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth?

So am I running in a race with perseverance, and in such a way to get the prize? There are so many parallels for me with physically being able to go for a run, and being able to run the race set out before me in my Christian life. I feel awkward and frustrated by my earthly body not allowing me to run the race like I would like to, and I often get frustrated by myself and my mind for getting so easily "entangled in the sin that hinders".

I need to persevere and not allow myself to get frustrated. I am only human, and I am a sinner, but I need to just keep running the good race. As Christians we need to keep running the race, even when there is pain. We are told that the race will not be easy, and there will be trials and pain along the road, but the prize is worth every bit of pain, and Jesus runs along the whole way, right beside us, and may even carry us on his back at some points along the way when the pain from the race feels like too much for us to handle. Isn't that an amazing gift? The gift of Grace, that Jesus will carry us, undeserving, sinners like me when the race gets too tough. I need to remember this gift of Grace, and just persevere in my earthly racing goals, and in my heavenly ones as well.