When I wrote the original summary of my 1000 Mile Project, I immediately sent it out to a few friends in part because I was excited about the idea and in part because I knew it would hold me accountable. 3 days later I was talking about it with one of those confidants and he said, “How many miles have you run this week?” I immediately said, “Well, I ran 5 that day but I’m not starting until this weekend.” His response was, “Well, why wait.” That questioned haunted me that day. I remembered that I actually wrote, “Today is my day to do things differently…”
Why WAS I postponing the start? I felt the conditions weren’t quite right. I had a sore calf. I needed the plan to be fully fleshed out. I was scared that I might fail. I had a goal but my mind was my enemy. We do that all the time with projects, eating better, and even recovery. So, even after losing a couple of days and without a perfect, well-thought out plan, I just ran towards my goal accepting that I might not have a great week but it was progress on my journey. And, with renewed thinking, I finished the week at almost 25 miles!
My son is fresh into recovery after a recent relapse. He can get overwhelmed at times with not only recovery but rebuilding his life. We, his parents, can get impatient at times because we want him to move faster, take bigger steps. This weekend he had a setback after a car wreck. It would be easy for my son to get frustrated and postpone steps forward until he felt better or the car got fixed. But, he too is taking steps forward even as the game plan changes. The truth is our plan is only the plan for the moment. We cannot control every aspect although we try mighty hard. We actually control for little. So, any plan has to be altered along the way. One day at a time.
Small steps, big steps… They offer opportunities to learn, to adjust, and to trust God. So today, I honor what God is doing in my journey and my son’s. Now, off to run!
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