Tomorrow morning, I am running my first ever full marathon. That's right. 26.2 miles of running (mostly downhill, as the local race starts up in the mountains and ends in the valley). I've run a handful of half-marathons, but this will be my first time at a full.
In preparation for this, I have thought out how I plan to approach the race. I've thought about things like what my pace will be, what I will eat ahead of time, what I will eat and drink during the race, and what to do if I feel the need to walk a little bit. This is part of preparing for something big like this.
Now, will everything work out like I'm planning? Probably not. Weather conditions, my body, and all sorts of other factors may enter in, and cause me to need to be flexible. That's the thing with a plan. You make it, and you have something to go by, but you also have to ready in case things don't go like you had planned. That's just life. Be ready, but also be ready for things to go differently than you planned.
That same approach to our faith and life seems appropriate, too. We can plan out how we want to grow in our Christian faith and life, and we can plan out ways to be active in that faith. But the thing is, life will continue to bring unexpected things up around us. To stick with what we are planning despite the changes of the world around us is not acting in wisdom. Rather, recognizing what is changing, and then being flexible in how we deal with the situation, seems much more like the course of wisdom.
I'll let you know tomorrow afternoon how my race went, and whether or not it went according to plan. Mostly, though, I hope that this entry helps you think about how you plan and prepare for life, both having a plan, and being ready when the unexpected throws your plan off balance.
In preparation for this, I have thought out how I plan to approach the race. I've thought about things like what my pace will be, what I will eat ahead of time, what I will eat and drink during the race, and what to do if I feel the need to walk a little bit. This is part of preparing for something big like this.
Now, will everything work out like I'm planning? Probably not. Weather conditions, my body, and all sorts of other factors may enter in, and cause me to need to be flexible. That's the thing with a plan. You make it, and you have something to go by, but you also have to ready in case things don't go like you had planned. That's just life. Be ready, but also be ready for things to go differently than you planned.
That same approach to our faith and life seems appropriate, too. We can plan out how we want to grow in our Christian faith and life, and we can plan out ways to be active in that faith. But the thing is, life will continue to bring unexpected things up around us. To stick with what we are planning despite the changes of the world around us is not acting in wisdom. Rather, recognizing what is changing, and then being flexible in how we deal with the situation, seems much more like the course of wisdom.
I'll let you know tomorrow afternoon how my race went, and whether or not it went according to plan. Mostly, though, I hope that this entry helps you think about how you plan and prepare for life, both having a plan, and being ready when the unexpected throws your plan off balance.
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