The Power of Restraint…

The Power of Restraint…

The first day of 9th grade, a teacher stopped me in the hall on my way to class.

“Are you in my class?”

Me, confused, “I don’t know? What is your class?”

“Cross-Country, if you are not in my class, you need to be in my class, let’s go get your schedule changed.”

He knew what he was looking for when it came to distance runners; he saw my build and knew there was potential. I imagine just like if the basketball coach saw a 6’ 5’ freshman walking down the hall, they would go after them.

I ended up being a very good distance runner. I was a soccer player and had been playing since I was 6 years old, so I was accustomed to a lot of running. But Cross-Country pushed me in a way I had never been pushed before.

You learn a lot of things about life and yourself when you run. I never knew that my 4 years in Cross-Country would be preparing me for the race of my life.

In 2005, a vision was placed in my heart, I could see a picture of what I wanted: “A program in schools teaching girls about Self-Worth.” But I had no idea the “course” I would have to run to get there.

The course or the path has led to the unfolding of The Priceless Project being translated into Spanish, Swahili & French (more to come), on 4 different continents, with 1000s of students in schools, churches, and small groups being transformed by the power of understanding “Who You Are!”

I post a lot about Priceless here, but for the most part, in my community, I am just Koby, Ky, and Levi’s mom, or I am the worship leader at church, or I am the co-worker at Cru. Most people do not know that I have been running a marathon for 20 years.

Distance running is all about finding your cruising speed, your groove. It is about energy preservation and strategy to know what your body needs to sustain you for the race, when to push, and when to exercise restraint.

I always knew at races the people who were beginners or novices to racing, because they would start out too fast. I would say to myself, “Well, I will pass YOU later!”

If you start too fast, you run out of gas. Just like a car that can get more miles to the gallon when on cruise control or on the highway at a steady speed versus in the city where you are accelerating quickly and stopping, then going, and varying your speed, the same principles apply with your body and life.

There is a certain intensity that is NOT sustainable. It is not sustainable emotionally, physically, spiritually, or mentally.

Restraint is a lesson that I have had to learn over and over. For someone with a dream and passion, it is a hard lesson to learn.

But what I learned on those cross-country courses is that if you allow your excitement, the crowd, or your competitors to draw you into a race pace that is not YOUR own, and if you cannot exercise restraint, you will fail.

Restraint is a discipline.

It is self-control.

It is self-awareness.

It is not something we talk about often, but the power of restraint is JUST as important as running after your dreams. It is just as important as DOING.

Restraint is the key to timing, to being in tune with the Spirit and listening closely; it is wisdom, emotional intelligence, it is a key to long-term success, it is the key to endurance.

I have had to LEARN the power of restraint.

I have learned when to quietly keep working in the late-night hours and in the quiet of my own home. I have had to learn when to stop talking. When to share, when not to share. To learn when it is time to push, and when it is time to rest.

I have had to learn the discipline of allowing the path, the terrain, the environment, and the current moment to show me what is needed. And to run my race, at my pace, and to use the endurance I learned as a competitive long-distance runner to help me on the journey.

I learned the hard way, like most of us. I learned through mistakes and some moments I am not proud of, yet as I look back, I see the course and the terrain that I have already completed, and it is beautiful and awe-inspiring.

It was full of curves and hills, sweat and tears, a few moments in the wind and rain, and some gorgeous views. Yet, this race, my race, has only just begun.

This is what I want for you my dear, I want you to look back over the race you have been running, I want you to see where you are now, I want you to celebrate the victories, and the path though it may have been really hard, I want you to see how it is shaping you and where it is taking you.

Are you running your race? Are you running your pace? Do you need to adjust? Do you need to refocus?

Do you need to practice restraint and trust that you will have all you need, to trust that what is for YOU is for YOU, and manic, rushed activity will not bring it about sooner?

There is no such thing as short-circuiting the process or the course. You have to take every step, you have to attack every hill, you have to endure and persist, there is no way around the HARD! You have to run through it.

This is your life, your race, your calling, I am in the race of life with you. Let’s train together! Let’s take on this course of life, one step, one breath at a time, and watch each other soar into all we were meant to be.

From My Heart To Yours,