"Pushing to failure is the only way to measure what you are capable of."
I was skimming thru his blog post, and then there it was.
Stopped me cold. Eyes fixed; reading & re-reading that single sentence.
The whole paragraph, really. Grabs me. Convicting, inspiring.
'Cause I don't really push that hard. Just to the point of getting uncomfortable...then I quit.
I mean, who likes to fail? Easier to say, "oh, I'm so tired; my knee hurts, I'll just walk for awhile..." But to keep running, to keep pushing, until I actually fall from exhaustion, until I actually run out of strength, until I puke from the sheer overexertion, and still barely reach the finish line? Have I ever?
(Okay, well, yeah...seven times, with childbirth; but it's not like there are any easy-way-out options there...)
Do we really have much endurance? In our posh, comfortable, westernized society?
I don't think so. When the going gets hard, we head to Starbucks. When my life is in shambles, I need pie. Had a hard day? Bring me a glass of sweet red Pinolem wine...
With this back-to-school insanity we're in, I already feel pushed to the limit. I mean, it is seriously redonkulous. I'm creating individual schedules for the three older kids (6th, 10th, & 10th grades), to outline their different activities, part-time classes, chores, and blocks of home school lessons. Then another schedule for the younger boys (kinder & 1st), and a 'master schedule' for me, to juggle all the different home school lessons, naptimes with little ones (1 & almost 3), chauffering to different sports & music classes. It feels too much, too full.
And I haven't even seriously launched into all their home school lessons!!
When things get crazy I tend to speak lies like this:
I've had enough!
I can not take anymore of this!
I'm overwhelmed!
But really? I can't run any harder? any further?
I think I can. I think I really can do all these things I'm called to, thru Christ who strengthens me, to walk worthy of my calling. I think I really can run this race with endurance, running to win the prize. Not just to drag in at the end...but to endure, and run with strength, with words of love & encouragement, with patience I couldn't possibly possess on my own.
'Cause this is giving up:
"I don't care if it won't fit in your backpack; get in the car right this minute before I chunk that show-&-tell airplane right into the garbage!!"
I can do better than that.
I wanna push harder. Even if I fail along the way.
I wanna find out what I'm really capable of.
And I think it's alot more than I realize.
Anywhere you need to run with a little more endurance?
Have you ever pushed all the way to failure, and truly measured what you're capable of?
