We started a new Saturday morning tradition in our home today. Since we have three little ones, there’s no such thing as sleeping in. It’s more like, wake up, cook breakfast and play & run around before the sun comes up. BJ and I workout separately during the week, but decided to go for a run together, as a family. It’s also a great way to keep my kids occupied for an hour. So, this morning we got out and enjoyed this gorgeous morning here in SoFlo.
Since we have three kiddos, we need 2 jogging strollers to wheel these babies around town. When the girls were little and I was working off the baby weight (which, by the way, came off a lot quicker that time…soooo not the same this time…annoying!!) I used to push them in our double- jogging stroller. I’ve pushed Jett’s stroller before, but feel more comfortable pushing the girls stroller. So, I went with what I am used to and uh, can I say, it feels a whole lot different than it did back in the day, when they were smaller.
I have ran since then and have pushed them many of times as they have gotten older, but today I was feeling it! Pushing these girls around was not easy. As I was huffing and puffing, I had a BLOG moment.
We encountered a few hills (ok, more like slopes.. But felt like mountains) and boy was it tough pushing them up!! The cargo I was pushing up the hill created a lot of resistance. However, every time we would start heading down, I had incredible momentum that almost carried me–it was like I was flying.
The weight I was carrying was resistance, not baggage. How do I know? Resistance propels you, strengthens you and gives you momentum you need for the next hill. Baggage, however, pulls you down, fatigues you and eventually breaks you.
Baggage and resistance sometimes feel and look like the same thing. So much, that we can often wish away “baggage” when in actuality it is resistance that has been placed in our journey to build us.
Would the run have been so much easier without pushing about 70pounds? Yes! Of course, but would I be as strong? No.
When we submit our lives to Jesus and place our lives in His hands, He often leads us through seasons of resistance. These seasons are important as they prepare us for what He has prepared for us. These seasons don’t often feel awesome while we are in them, but when we choose to embrace resistance, we recognize the great amount of momentum and strength we have acquired!
When we submit our lives to Jesus and when we place our lives in his hands, there is also baggage from our past that likes to stick around. This baggage, although can be mistaken for resistance, is not beneficial for our life. In fact, it can be destructive if we don’t throw it off.
So how do we know if what we are experiencing is meant to be embraced or thrown off? God’s grace is rich when He has allowed us to walk through seasons of resistance. It’s something that leads us closer to Jesus and makes us more dependant on Him. Baggage, weighs us down and drives us away from Jesus. It distracts us, discourages us and tempts us to do it on our own.
So, if you find yourself in a tough season, do the “grace check” and see if this is something God has led you to or if it’s something God is leading you away from. When we rid ourselves of baggage and when we embrace resistance, we will walk stronger, be more prepared for our future and run into our next season with the right amount of momentum.
Ready, set… GO!!!
TRUTH:
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.” Hebrews 12:1
DARE: Rid yourself of the baggage that is holding you down.
