The Other Side of Wisdom

Woke up to a beautiful morning here in the country, and in the "sound of silence" I prayed for wisdom. It seems that the prayers for a sign, a hint, an intimation of what I should do, have lead me, not to the solution, but to the right question. This is the last day to drop out of Ironman Texas and get any of the entry returned. I need the ability to make a wise choice: I need wisdom. And so I prayed.

Limping to the bathroom on my bad knee should have told me it was wise to drop this whole thing. Remembering my pathetic running pace should have evoked a wise decision to quit. Considering the expense of this most likely failed venture should have added wisdom enough to back off from all this. No, really, I think the odds are very long that I will finish within the time cut off for the event. The 70-74 year age group results Of ironman past are littered with participants my age who didn't make the cut. Is it wise to go through all this; put my family through all of this, to only add my name to the list of those my age who did not make it? Wisdom would seem to say let this go.

So I went to this computer to officially ask for a partial refund of my entry, but I just couldn't do it. My first thought was go on. Do it.  Drop the ironman. But I just couldn't do it. Strange indeed as I began to pondered that perhaps I was accessing a God-given wisdom. A wisdom greater and more ultimately wise than my practical and logical mind could ever afford. In spite of my fears foreseeing the pain to be borne and the probable failure of it all - still, I couldn't withdraw. It seemed logical but it didn't seem wise.

So now Wisdom tells me to take this as far as I am carried. There is some rough training to be done yet. My first goal is to just make it to the starting line; to step out into the water for the swim, like Peter stepped out of the boat to walk on water to Jesus. And if I finish the swim on time; finish the bike on time, get through all the highs and lows in between, I will be so thankful. On the dreaded run: however far I get before being taken off the course, will be a blessing. At the end of that day, my hope is to have stepped out in faith, run the race set before me, looking to God for strength, and did the best I could, for Him. That sounds wise to me. I think my prayer for wisdom this morning has been answered.

Use me God, show me how to take who I am, who I want to be, and what I can do, and use it for purpose greater than myself.
Martin Luther King


http://milesofthejourney.blogspot.com/2014/12/ironman-victories.html