Random Ramblings about marriage and running.

Marriage isn't easy. Even when you are in a marriage with someone you love dearly and consider your best friend. It keeps you in a place of mental yoga. Or at least it does for me. Sometimes unreasonable expectations cause frustration. On the other hand sometimes reasonable expectations being unmet, causes frustration.

So here James and I are, moving our way through the dredges and joys of daily life. Five years this coming June, five years married that is. And I have to say the proudest five years of my life. Even so, we feel like we are running a race sometimes, like the writer talks about in Hebrews :

"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..."

I think the farthest I have run is 5 miles, and that was when i was 16. Probably in the middle of that "jog" I decided track wasn't my thing. So I did what any reasonable person realizing there limits would do; I quit track. I only feel slight guilt about being a "quiter". But I do remember the thoughts and feelings I had while running:

The excitement of what would happen in the beginning. Then the enjoyment of the scenery. The companionship of the fellow runners. Maybe pass by a sprinkler and get a little thirsty, but still feel invigorated. That is until a hill comes, and it figuratively and literally goes down hill from there. Muscles begin to ache, breathing more labored and all I think about is "why in the world did I join track?" Of course I'd get to the end, finish running, and I'd feel satisfied. Actually I was so satisfied that I never went on a 5 mile jog ever again.

Marriage goes like that a little. From, "this is nice", to "why did I get married?". Sometimes I say to myself, "I was not (in shape) ready for marriage!", But really if I think about it, isn't it the running that makes me in shape? Isn't it the daily pounding of the figurative road that keeps me emotionally acute? Is anyone ever ready for what will uniquely happen in a race until they have run it? I don't know. But i do know the stakes are much higher now than they were when i was 16.

Like I said, I am proud of the last five years of married life, im proud of the race I have been running. Its not fancy or even all that great to look at most times, but its my unique race. And honestly my race (meaning my marriage or my parenting or my art career) means very little until I give it the effort of my intentional pursuit and my earnest prayer.

So i encourage my married friends and my single friends. My prayer is that we can all enjoy every moment of the good times and overcome a better person after the tough times!