As a runner, over time I have become keenly aware of the terrain of my local run. I know the dips in the sidewalk, the cracked cement, the mile markers, the hills and the declines. Because I am familiar with the terrain, I can anticipate the impact it will have on my body. I know for sure that I will look forward to declines because they are easier on my body and that I will have to power through as I work my way uphill. I know to avoid uneven pavement so that I don't twist my ankle or fall. I know to shorten my stride over bumpy roads. In particular, when I'm approaching a hill I steel myself with lots of self-talk while running - "you can do it, use your arms, maintain your form, it's not that far, when you reach the stop sign everything shifts....." and then I tell myself to stop talking and just maintain my form.
There's always a plateau at the top of any incline. The plateau feels the worse physically because you don't start feeling the relief from the hard work of running uphill,
yet.
But this is the moment your momentum shifts because you keep going; the plateau turns into a decline and you give yourself a pat on the back.
I've run this course a thousand times - the hill always seems bigger when I'm approaching it and so minuscule in retrospect and yet I go through this self-talk each time. These hills will always be a struggle for me for a hill is a hill -
it will always require work to get to the top.
The plateaus in life are where many give up. A plateau is an area of relatively level high ground; a state of little or no change following a period of activity or progress.
The anticipated result has not shown up,
yet.
You have come through the crucifixion but the resurrection hasn't happened yet. But this is when you power through and maintain your form. This is when you actively wait with expectancy. This is when you don't quit.
This is the moment your momentum shifts. Some of our mountains seemed so huge at the time, but in retrospect, we can see them for what they were - bumps in the road that still required some effort to overcome.
After Jesus was crucified, he was dead for three days and then He came back to life. I can't explain resurrection, but what I do know is this -
His death was preparation for His resurrection.
Don't quit. Know that in the plateaus of your life, you are not alone and your momentum is shifting. You're not alone in the plateau, and you're not alone as you run freely with abandon. Trust God. Hold on. Your momentum is shifting.
But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31
Do you know when your momentum is shifting?
--Nylse
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