training

When I think of training, this is what I picture:

Seems daunting, (not) fun, painful, work, WORK, maybe even near impossible!

When I add myself into the athletic training idea, I feel more like THIS ...

than THOSE!!!

Still not sure training is fun, ever gonna be fun, ever gonna be on my woooohoooo I can't wait to list, but I have come to realize that it is necessary!  I DID train somewhat for each race I've endeavored to do.  I did NOT train as well for these last two races as I had hoped.  Not gonna be a big improvement in my time or performance (especially not toting around the 15 extra pounds I swore I'd never gain back - but that's another post for another day, have no fear, it'll be coming because after I carb load this weekend, baby I'm back to counting points ... all the way to the measily 19 I get everyday!) this go round ... probably gonna be more tired and sore than I should be.  So, back to training.  It's necessary.  And it's not just for running or atheletes or events.  It's for life!

Spent yesterday working on our upcoming women's retreat with Megan, my awesome women's ministry coordinator.  We've been talking for quite a while about our goals and theme for the year for women's ministry.  We've consistently come back to the idea that we need to go back to the basics ... but we've not settled on what all that means.  Our theme verse for the retreat is:

... train yourself to be godly...

I Timothy 4:7

so I've been thinking about that quite a bit the last few days.  Been reading through a book called Soul Shaping that defines a spiritual discipline as "small things Christians intentionally do to open themselves to God's work of conforming them to the image of Christ."  I LIKE that.  It kind of takes some of the heebie jeebie out of spiritual disciplines.  Here are some of my thoughts about all of that.

1. Training is work.  But its work with a purpose ... to change us in some way.

2. Training is not always fun ... but its necessary to accomplish a goal

3. Training is NOT the game.  Some of you guys are athletes (NOT me!  I even got ditched by my best little junior high buddy in 9th grade PE because I was a bad pingpong player.  Yep, still bitter!) so you understand this even better ... the things you do to practice and train aren't the things you do in the game, necessarily.  They build strength and hone skills.  They are targeted and predictable, controlled.  Again, not usually fun.  Who really likes running sprints or doing lunges??

4. It's really the GAME that matters.  Training is great, but no one keeps score on that.  In spiritual stuff, no one is keeping a star chart for me with how many days in a row I've had a quiet time.  Thank goodness no one is looking for me to have perfect attendance on Sundays.  Remember offering envelopes?  [  ] Bible brought  [  ] lesson studied  [  ] contacts made ... really?  I can remember checking those boxes.  NOPE, those things really don't matter when I am ugly to the checker at Target who forgot to ring up all of my items or when I am selfish with my time because I'm tired or when I complain about the weather (trying guys, I am!).  When I don't look like Christ = that's the loss.  Doesn't matter how many weeks I made it to church or how many great quiet times I had and it sure doesn't matter that they "pay me to be a Christian"

5. While it's the game that matters, the training gives us tools, strengths, experiences to make us better at accomplishing that goal and bringing about that change.  There really is the couch potato to 5K idea out there.  Little by little it teaches you to make the changes you need to go from being inactive to successfully completing a 5K!  Same is true with our spiritual training (or disciplines) ... little by little it changes us to look more like Christ.  That's what we're after isn't it?

So, as much as I don't enjoy the training.  I know it is accomplishing something worthwhile in me that I desire.  So, I'm willing to stick with it if you are!

By the way, if you've got some insights or fun ideas about how we might communicate some of that at our retreat, let me know!

5K (marathon) here I come!