Transition Area

This summer I completed my 5^th triathlon.  I still can't believe it since only a few short years ago I had no idea what a triathlon was.  In 2007, I began a journey to improve my health and fitness and lose weight.  It has been an incredible process with lots of ups and downs.  I went from being a frumpy overweight mom to a very active mom, personal trainer, triathlete and runner.   As, I was thinking about this, God showed me some amazing parallels between our walk with Him and a triathlon.

When you arrive on race day, you set up an area called your “transition area”.  My goal in doing a triathlon is to finish it without drowning, so I haven’t really put a lot of time in planning out my transition area.  As I have improved as a triathlete though, I have realized that not spending time planning can waste time, energy and even injury.   All of us go through periods of time in our lives that are transitions.  For me, the past year has been a huge transition.  I went from being a single mom of two kids to a married woman with 4 kids.  This transition has been full of blessings and I am so incredibly thankful for the way God has been there.  However, I didn’t realize this until very recently.   I was single for 10 years and became very independent.  Before getting married I was very involved in Women’s ministry – my passion.  I can’t tell you enough how much I was blessed during this time of serving.  But, it was clear that I needed to focus on my new ministry at home.  I felt a peace about it, but at the same time was grieving.  For 10 years, it was me and God against the world.  He carried me through some pretty big trials and proved Himself faithful over and over again.  This past year there have been no major trials, so I couldn’t figure out why I was feeling so blah.  A friend of mine told me that it is in the transition times that God will teach me so much, but I have to pay attention.   I was so caught up in trying to adjust to being married that somehow I missed what God was teaching me.  Just like in the transition area of a triathlon, we need to be prepared and think things through.  I was just going through the motions of life, without a plan and without God.  Thankfully, God got my attention pretty quickly and I cleaned up my transition area.  One way was through prayer and the Nike motto, “Just Do IT”.  Like many women, I had what my marriage was supposed to look like in my head and it didn’t quite match up to what reality was.   You see, I pictured my husband and I praying together every morning and night , doing devotionals, going to a small group, having all of the kids sit at the table for dinner using good manners, as well as many other things that I am sure all of you do at home.  I didn’t factor in our crazy busy schedules, whining kids or soccer practice.  So when things didn’t measure up to what I thought it should, I felt like my marriage wasn’t a godly one.   So I began to pray about it and take action.  I couldn’t sit back and wait for life to change.  I had to change.  I had to initiate some things and just do it!  

  There were over 300 hundred women in the last tri that I did.  That is a lot of women for the race officials to keep track of.  Besides the race number bib that is pinned to your shirt,  we also have a number on our swim cap, bike helmet, both thighs and arms, yet it is impossible for everyone to be seen and kept track of at all times.   There are even more women in our church, our community, our world.  Do you sometimes feel invisible or unnoticed?  I know that I sometimes do.  I remember spending all day decorating the house for Christmas before my kids got home.  I was so excited to see their excited, loving, thankful reactions.  HA!  My son didn’t say a word, just turned the tv on and asked for a snack and my daughter said, “I need a new stocking”..  There have been times that I have come to church and had to sit alone.  There was a time in my life that I was being verbally abused and it seemed that no matter what I said, I couldn’t defend myself.  I felt lost and that nobody cared.  But God does.  

In Genesis 16:13, Hagar called God El-Roi , the God Who Sees.

 “She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.”

This gives me such great comfort and peace to know that no matter where I am or what I am doing, God sees me.  He not only sees me, but he loves and cares for me so deeply.  I am one of those very relational people that struggles with needing validation sometimes.  In this world, often times our good works go completely unnoticed by others.  It brings me great joy to know that God is watching and smiling and I can sense His approval - the only approval we really need.

 The final part of a triathlon is the run.  The course that I ran in my last tri, was a long, dusty, rocky, hilly, dry brush, lizard crossing, snake hiding kinda run.  I hated it.  I was so frusterated because it should have been the easiest part for  me – I RUN!  Unfortunately, I got a little cocky and didn’t train the way I should for it.  I run 3-4 times a week on my nice flat treadmill or on a nice path outdoors.  Not a hill or rock in sight.  I was not prepared.  Sometimes my walk with God is the same way.  I get comfortable with life and start getting a little cocky.  Then when something hard comes along, I am wondering where God is.  Why don’t I feel His presence?  You see, He is there, but I was so caught up in my own way of doing things that I was blindsided by whatever trial is there.  It is so important for us to train.   

1 Corinthians 9:25: Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

So friends, spend some time listening to God while going through tranisitions -  be prepared and when life doesn’t look like you think it should, pray about it and if God wants you to do something about it – Just Do IT!  Please always remember that we serve the God Who Sees.  You may not always be recognized for what you do, but God sees and is very pleased.  Finally, don’t get to comfortable and cocky.   We must always be in training for godliness.  It is on-going and full of incredible blessings.