Lesson #1: Hills

Today I went out for my last solid long run before the Boston marathon which is only 2 weeks away! I had two tough and encouraging teammates to run with for the first part of my run. We ran some good hills in preparation for Boston. The presence of my teammates helped to push me up those hills. I said goodbye to them at mile 11 and continued on for the last 10 miles alone, and found my attack on the hills was extremely lacking. Would I have pushed harder if my teammates were with me? Yes, most likely. Why did the hills seem so much more challenging? Because I was alone. This made me think about the trials in life that come my way. I was not created to battle hard times alone. Sure, I can attempt it, but I will be weak and want to give up. God has surrounded me with fellowship and encouragement in the body of Christ. I need people to walk with me through trials b/c their presence will help me to keep pushing. When I battle life's problems alone, I lose my zeal and perseverance, just like on today's hills. I joked with my teammate, Mark, that I want to record his voice cheering me on for when I hit those Boston hills. Sometimes we just need someone to say, "Come on, Sarah-you can get through this!" How about you? Are you attacking any 'hills' alone?