Setting the Pace

ByRachel Wojo

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setting the pace

I ran today. 8 miles. Well, it was supposed to be 8, but something happened. At 3.5 miles, the watch lost power.

My poor husband frequently hears how I wish I were faster and “I wish I could do that.”

With no watch, I was forced to estimate my miles, which wasn’t a problem, but the more difficult side of going without the watch was….my pace.

For some reason, my body just doesn’t stay in an even running pace unless I stay very forcefully on task.  This means glancing down at my watch every few minutes to make sure I haven’t slowed down past my goal marks.  Pace is everything- if you want to win.  Or reach your goal.

But today God was teaching me a different lesson.  One I’ve heard before, but have always had difficulty comprehending and enjoying.

When you consume yourself with the pace, you often miss the lessons of the race.

In other words, when I get so entranced with how fast or how slow or just right that I’m running, I miss out on the beauty of the journey.

 Too much focus on reaching the destination and not enough enjoyment of the present.

This lesson relates to other areas in my life, as the blog is growing and I find myself spending too much time looking at numbers.  Twitter followers, facebook likes, pins on pinterest, etc.  I really believe God is teaching me that I don’t need to achieve goals at breakneck speed.  Gradual growth is better than sudden explosions.  Oh, it’s great to have a spurt every now and then.  As long as the increase is given by God and the glory for the increase is given to Him. I don’t want the spotlight to be on me.

My heart’s cry is to point others to Jesus. When I get caught up in the pace, then I lose the focal point of reaching and helping others for Christ.  As my awesome friend, Karen Ehman, says, “Don’t take on more than you can pray for.”

So I run to pray and I pray that I can run the full race…

At.His.Pace.

 

 

14 Comments

  1. What a flgood reminder, to not only set the pace, but to ENJOY the journey. This is oh so true and a struggle of mine. But when k do remember life is never sweeter. Thanks for the encouragement!!

  2. i love this rachel!
    thank you so much for linking it up with us. i think its perfect in talking about social media! =)

  3. Rachel, your post comes at a perfect time for me on so many levels. Thanks for taking the time to reflect and share this truth!

    1. Thanks so much for stopping by, Lisa. I’m thrilled that it helped you on any level! 🙂

  4. Evenin’ from Maine Rachel girl! Yes, I’m open to inviting God to set my pace tonight. Way to run and remind sister! ~ Blessings, Amy 🙂

  5. Oh this is so true! I find I often want to “get through the day” instead of embracing everything the day holds!

    So happy for you that your blog is growing 🙂

  6. But oh so hard, my friend! This is a fast-paced world. It is very easy to get swept along. Great reminder!

  8. So very true! Lately things for me have seemed like “break-neck” speed and I’m finally getting into a groove (but not a rut).
    I like Karen’s quote, “Don’t take on more than you can pray for.”!!

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