But first- this commercial break…
(Do you feel listless? Do you feel like you’ve been hit with “life-troubles-itis?” What you may need is a hot new product called “get-back-in-the-game-determinopolis.” Here’s how I know it works. Three months ago today, I completed my fourth marathon in 3 years. I had run multiple times weekly for years. Then, after marathon #4 was completed, on November 1, 2020, I went cold turkey into retirement, planning to go on long walks with my wife instead of running. Then winter came, Covid came, busyness happened, and chronic “lazy-couch-orama” attacked. So, today, I got out and ran two miles. On 11/1/20, I completed 26 miles. Today, 2 miles. Today felt like a 12-mile run. My legs are wobbly. My chest is burning for air. Two miles!! What is the lesson? If we don’t use it, we lose it. If we take a break from being kind to our wives for awhile, if we decide not to invest in relationship with our kids for 3 months (or 3 weeks), if we decide to stop working hard at our jobs for a season, if we think it’s okay to be dishonest for a spell, if we decide we don’t need to visit with the Lord each day for the next week, or month, or year… then what we gained begins to fade. We begin to regress. What was once fairly easy because of training is now almost impossible to accomplish. The good news? Grace is new every morning. The great news? Repentance is still powerful. I can start over and rebuild from the rubble of my lazy-selfish-orama-itis. While I have breath, there is still time to get back in the game. We just need to apply a batch of ruthless “get-back-in-the-game-determinopolis.” It’s free! Today and tomorrow.)
MESSAGE TO MY DIRT ROAD. I’M BACK BABY!!