How to run through life's hurdles

Where to focus when challenges pop up (plus a book giveaway to get you through June!)

Welcome to my table, sweet friend! I send out this weekly Glorygram as an invitation for you to pull up a chair and linger with me at the table. I’m serving up Peanut Butter Granola Parfaits, which are a great healthy breakfast choice for the summer and fun to serve to guests. We layer ours with berries, honey, and sometimes chocolate chips. Join me for a feast on the glory of God!

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Photo by Rebekah Watson

In high school, my first love was soccer, but my coach recruited me to run Track & Field because he said it would help me stay in shape, and he could use my speed on the team. I loved the competition and community I found on the Track team.

Coach Churchill, whom we fondly called “Church,” had me run races like the 400 meters, the relays, and do some long jump.

Church walked up to me during one meet and asked, “How would you like to run hurdles today?

I raised an eyebrow at him. He had this way of pushing me to embrace new challenges - in the classroom, on the soccer field and out on the track. Church was a man of faith and someone I trusted as a leader and mentor.

“I’ve never run hurdles before,” I responded.

“I know,” he simply said. “I’ll teach you.”

That was the day I fell in love with the 300-meter hurdles.

Church gave me a quick lesson. I practiced jumping over the hurdle a few times, and then I headed to the starting line. There wasn’t time to get nervous. Only a handful of girls were racing that day. I didn’t have anything to lose.

Looking back, I know I didn’t have great hurdle form or strategy in that first race, but I immediately embraced the challenge. I loved that feeling of soaring over those hurdles and the thrill of coming from behind to win the race.

After that, Church had me work with another teacher who ran hurdles in college. Mr. Kritzberg gave me more specific coaching on the best strategy to run hurdles.

I think back to the first bit of advice Mr. Kritzberg gave me: lean in and reach for your laces. The goal was to make my body more aerodynamic. This technique helps a hurdler to maintain balance, propel forward and get over the hurdle more efficiently.

What if we applied this technique to our life hurdles?

When we see a hurdle in the lane in front of us, it’s easy to get discouraged or overwhelmed. We may want to run away from that hurdle or put on the brakes rather than propel forward.

James writes, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:2-4 NIV).

James was Jesus’ half-brother who helped build the church after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension. James writes primarily for Jewish Christians with reminders that hold truth for us today.

Joy is probably not our default in life when we face difficulties, but James encourages us to “consider it an opportunity” (NLT) or to “count it all joy” (ESV) when we face hurdles in life.

Sometimes leaning in might mean naming the hurdle, but not allowing ourselves to get caught up in worst-case-scenario thinking. We need to consider where there might be joy in the process even when it feels challenging. This reframes the situation and helps me to take that courageous step forward.

Mr. Kritzberg used to tell me not to jump over the hurdle, but to run through it. That puzzled me at first, but he explained that when I’m in a hurdle race the goal is to maintain speed and momentum. A good hurdler skims over the hurdle, not spending a lot of time in the air jumping high, which causes her to lose speed.

I can see how this applies to life as well. Sometimes I work so hard to avoid pain, but the truth is the only way through pain is through. I have to allow myself to run through the challenges instead of trying to avoid or jump over them.

Now I’ve been coaching Track and Field for more than 20 years at our local high school, where my husband graduated and now my daughters attend. My 16-year-old decided this year she wanted to run hurdles. She’s always been a sprinter, but she needed something new to challenge her.

I’ve been careful not to push my daughters to pursue something just because I did. I want them to choose their own path without pressure. Of course, I was delighted when she decided for herself to try the 300-meter hurdle race - the very race I learned to love in high school.

As I started coaching my daughter, I noticed she would sometimes slow down and stutter-step right before she got to a hurdle. This is common for new hurdlers. I gave my girl the same advice my coach gave me – keep your eyes on the finish line, not the hurdle. Hurdle races are often won in the final strides of the race.

Photo by Rebekah Watson

When we focus on the horizon rather than the hurdle, we can run faster and more efficiently for His glory. Finishing well matters.

Friend, I imagine you have some hurdles you are facing today. Maybe you are facing burnout or traversing depression; maybe your marriage feels tense or your child has wandered; maybe you are overwhelmed by work or today’s headlines. Name some of those hurdles. Then visualize yourself running through those hurdles. Look for the hidden joy in the race. Ask God to grow your perseverance and maturity as you run to complete this leg of the race.

What hurdles are you facing today?

*This reflection was published this week over on (in)courage by DaySpring.

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Glory recommendations

Each week I like to share links to some of my own work or resources that are inspiring me and my family to chase after God’s glory! Here are five for you to check out this week:

1. As a runner, you want to accomplish your physical goals. But deep down, you long for your training to be a more meaningful experience, engaging your body, mind, soul, and spirit. Walk, Run, Soar is a 52-week devotional and training journal designed for runners who hope to experience God’s presence, purpose, and glory in a deeper way as they run. Dorina Gilmore Young, and her triathlete husband, Shawn, will get you moving with a new motivation: improving your spiritual health. Along with weekly devotions to inspire you, Walk, Run, Soar includes:

   • practical running/training tips

   • training schedules from a running and triathlon coach

   • advice on how to fuel your body well

   • reflection questions and action steps

   • space to journal and record your running progress

   Whether you are new to running or a longtime runner, Walk, Run, Soar will motivate you to hit your fitness goals while strengthening your faith.

2. Join our 25 Tips in '25 to Better Running series! Receive actionable tips for the next 25 days that you can apply to your running and life. If you want to be a better runner (or walker), it happens one step at a time. We want to coach you and cheer you on while inspiring you at a soul level.

3. I’ve also created a fun playlist of songs for you to listen as you walk, run and worship this summer! You can listen on Spotify for free or grab the list and add them to your own player of choice. These songs have ushered me through many miles and many of life’s hurdles.

   

4. Every month I give away a special book to one of my Glorygram subscribers. The June Giveaway is meaningful because my words are included in this book! The Women’s Devotional Bible - The Gospels. The full bible with devotionals releases August 5.

   The Scriptures are meant for us, to draw near to God and discover God’s vision for us. This devotional portion edition of The Message Women's Devotional Bible invites women of all ages and life experiences to consider what it means to be made in God’s image and invited into God’s mission out of our unique design. With down-to-earth insights into the experience of women in the Gospels, and informed by the wisdom of women in our contemporary context, this Women’s Devotional Bible portion expands our imagination for faithfulness in our time.
   
   Often overlooked in the Scriptures are women actively participating in the story of God. Many of them are unnamed; many of them are only mentioned or alluded to. But the message of the Scriptures is incomplete without them. This Bible portion draws our attention to the insights hidden in their stories and the relevance of their lives to ours. The writers for this project include 82 contributors, all women of diverse ages, vocations, backgrounds, races, and ethnicities. Another cool tidbit is that 27 of these writers are my author friends through the Redbud Writers Guild. I love collaborative projects! If you’re interested in winning a copy of The Gospels, comment below with why.

5. Summer is here, and moms of littles, I have the perfect gift for you!
   SUMMER OF STORIES is:
   - a FREE video series
   - 30 Christian children's book authors (award-winning and best-selling) reading their books
   - daily book giveaways just for participating
   
   Sign up with your email and the videos come to your inbox weekdays from June 9-July 27. This is an easy peasy way to start faith-filled conversations in your home this summer and a quick go to when the kids say, "I'm bored!"

*This post contains affiliate links at no extra cost to you. Thank you for helping to support this ministry!

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Friend, I’m so grateful you are a part of my Glorygram tribe! I count it an incredible privilege to connect with each of you through this Glorygram. I offer a paid subscription to this newsletter with all the bells and whistles! For $50 per year (or $5 a month), you'll gain access to my full archive, bonus posts, monthly recipe posts, and my Lent and Advent devotionals! While the free weekly emails will continue, my subscription-only content will be an extension of the foundation we've built together. My goal is always to help you continue to feast on God’s glory in your everyday lives. To subscribe and unlock this exclusive content, simply hit the Subscribe Now button. Founding members will also get a personalized, signed copy of one of my books! I am so grateful for all of your prayers and support!