Feeding Your Faith II

A large part of this post is from a previous post back in 2015.  Not much of my spirit had changed, it seems.  And I still have that bum knee.

Yesterday my run cut short due to lightning. But, that's OK. My bad knee needed the rest as it is painful at times.  However,  that crack in my armor gives my doubting too much room in my view.   

I like the saying: "Feed your faith and your doubts will starve to death." So, to do that, I have to go about setting up conditions to starve the doubts.  You can shut down the fire in a stove by cutting down the air and by shutting down the air to doubts, and not let them breathe. I try not to give doubt thoughts air but instead give air to recalling all the times God has brought me through.  How about the time He saved me out when I barely escaped from a burning vehicle or the time He saved me out when I had some sort of allergic reaction and couldn't breathe; or the time I had hyponatremia a the end of a marathon and thought I was dying.  He brought me through so many trials in life and in numerous endurance experiences, training sessions, and all the other times in life when I could not see my own way through. 

"Feed your faith and your doubts will stave to death"

So, if you see some doubts out there, weak and emaciated,  staggering around choking to death, know that  I succeeded in not giving them air and I am still out there, praise God, still training and feeding my faith well.

It Wasn't My Plan

The battle was over.  Arms were more or less laid down.  Resignation to no more than a half ironman at best had been made.  It was almost good enough. The nagging sense of being unfilled was being dealt with successfully.  I had almost convinced myself.   However ironman, for me,  is like one of those dormant viruses, there just waiting for the right stressors to activate it again.

So it was with ironman. I wasn't going to sign up until:  I got my book by Mike Reilly, Finding My Voice.  As I started reading it, the inspiration, the hopes started bubbling back up to the surface.  I began to get my own voice back; my ironman voice.  Then Ironman Texas this year was held and the social media was full of information and inspiration about the event.  Then there was that email that offered opportunity to sign up before registration opened.  Oh how could  I withstand all this?  Like an alcoholic going off the wagon I stayed up later that night and just went on and took that first drink.  I got weak.  I caved.  I signed up.

God help me.  Of course, I am in way over my head. God help me.  Of course, He will.

Who Am I Listening To

No, I wasn't paying attention making that turn-around and my bike fell over and I land squarely on the back of my ribs. Do I have a broken rib? I am not sure.  But it hurts. But it is getting better slowly.

All this pain and limitation make me cognizant how important capability is.  When I was in good health I had to fight the mind games I played on myself to get out of doing my morning strength and flexibility exercises.  Now, I wish I had the capability to do them all.

And, get this, all of the injury stuff happened within 24 hours of me signing up for Ironman Texas yet again.  Does God want me to stay home or is this part of game plan of evil to thwart what God has called me to try to do?  Who am I listening to?  I think I know and therefore, I am going on.  Something really great must be in store for me at the end of this journey.   That's what I am going with; my story; my song.