just small steps

It doesn't seem possible that just over a month has passed since last posting. Could give myself lots of excuses, like Christmas holidays got in the way, son Philip was home from college and just enjoyed the time with him, or the server won't ever remember my password so it is a hassle getting into it to post, or.........

But I won't go there. Suffice it so say - here we go again! WooHoo!

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The last four days I've done something I swore never to do again: running as a form of exercise! There are bad memories and worse emotions about running that I did in college (way many) years ago. Just refused to go there again. However, for a while now it has been obvious that exercise needed to be added to my life, on a regular basis. Just couldn't seem to get over the hump and go do it. But in the process of making changes and growing I decided to just do it! Four days ago was a beautiful spring morning in the mid of winter so on went the shorts and sweatshirt and sneakers and away we went. Started small, only a couple of (long!) blocks one way and back again. Felt great! Could feel good about myself again, in a small way.

Today was day number 4. Day two it was raining when I went out and 5 minutes later was sleeting and snowing. Day three was about 10 degrees. Today was 20 couple. So the weather seduced me on day one. The last three days my legs have been screaming at me every time I've taken a step or stood up. You know what, though? It doesn't matter. Now it is not about the weather or pain. It is about feeling good about myself and setting and meeting a goal. Just a small one, but successful just the same.

In that context a small but major revelation came today. Maybe I'll call it a "Concrete Vision". As I was running and thinking about how much farther I had to go (I had the "big picture" in focus), I looked down at the concrete under my feet. I saw the cracks and the periodic dividing lines. And it hit me: I only had to take the next step. I only had to get to the next dividing line. I can do that, no problem. And if I could do that one more time, and one more time, and one more time, before I knew it I would be at the end of my goal for the day.

It became clear to me that all of my life I have had the big picture, the final goal. And that is a blessing. "Without vision the people perish" the Bible says. How true. However, I have been caught up in looking so far down the road I have been unable to see or take the first step. I have failed to see that getting to the goal is done by taking the next step and the next and the next.

Today I got to the end of my set distance and looking at that next line in the concrete ------ I kept going!

This is your day to take the next small step.

Dr Jon