That "Good" Kind of Tired
Heart pumping and calves burning, motivation keeps my whole body moving. My lungs begin to pant, but I keep jogging in rhythm with my fast breaths. Adrenaline and endorphins flow freely, heightening my awareness and intensity. I feel out of breath, but each pattern of deep inhalation and fast exhalation makes me want to breathe deeper, to breathe again, to keep running. Although my heart beats rapidly, it does not make me want to give up but rather to keep pursing my goal step by step. Even though my muscles begin to burn, I feel my strength increasing rather than decreasing.
Step by step, I make my way toward the goal. I am exhausted, yet energized. When I finally reach the last stretch, I race to my finish line, using up every ounce of energy that is left within me. My face is flushed, and I breathe hard as I stretch my back and touch my toes, feeling the oxygen replenish my muscles. As I let out one long breath, a huge smile escapes with it.
“Hey, Ashli! How are you?” I look up to see a friend passing by on the sidewalk. Still a little out of breath and flushed, I don’t hesitate to show it. “I’m really tired…but it’s that good kind of tired,” I say with a smile of accomplishment and victory.
Not everyone loves running like I do, but God has given me great pleasure in it. When the air is crisp and the sun is shining, I can almost hear the Lord whispering to me, "Let's go for a run today." So I tighten my laces, pull back my hair, and run my usual lap around campus, enjoying every panting breath and every pulse of my heartbeat.
The tiredness doesn’t make me want to quit or walk. Instead it makes me want to keep going, to run harder, faster. I am not sure why, but I just really enjoy feeling my heart race and my skin sweat. I love to get outside and work and pray until I have used up all my energy reserve. I love that feeling at the end of a long run – I’m tired, but I’m alive. I’m energized and strengthened. It’s that good kind of exhaustion, representing perseverance and strength.
I haven’t had the chance to run like that in a while. Paperwork, textbooks, and studying have kept me from going on those long runs. This busy schedule, full of activities all day long, has left me exhausted. Exhaustion robs the joy from my days and leaves me short and cranky. It was in this state of breathlessness that I came across 1 Timothy 4:7-8 this week.
“Train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”
In my stress and weariness, I realized that nursing school is the race that God has called me to at this time in my life. Through it all, He is training me to be more godly, more like Him.
I imagined myself running, my steps keeping time for my breaths, my heart pounding in my chest. Only instead of running my regular course around campus, I was running the race of my day to day life. I was running through nursing school, through responsibilities, through commitments, through relationships. I was running through every hour of my day including all the activities that fill my time.
Instead of getting tired and wanting to give up, I felt invigorated to keep pursing the goal. This prize is the knowledge that God has a hold on my life. He has a firm grip on my heart, and I am clinging to His. He has a calling for me, and I will run towards it with every breath I take. In place of exhaustion, I found passion
If my body can be so devoted to running even when I get out of breath, then why does my spirit tire so easily when it comes to the stresses of daily life? Through 1 Timothy this week, the Lord reminded me that this season of my life is a race that He has marked out for me. He is training me in godliness. That same energy that I feel when my legs run, I can channel into my daily race. Instead of getting worn out and giving up when I feel tired, I let the fast heart beat challenge me to keep going.
1 Timothy 4:7-8 reminds us all that our specific stressors are actually like a race course marked out for us. Running with energy and perseverance will train us to be more like Him. And He promises to give us the strength, the breath, and the pulse to keep going even when we get tired. Running hard even becomes a joy as we are able to say, “I’m tired, but it’s that good kind of tired.” We are using up all our energy to train for godliness, all our effort to run with Christ.
Step by step, I make my way toward the goal. I am exhausted, yet energized. When I finally reach the last stretch, I race to my finish line, using up every ounce of energy that is left within me. My face is flushed, and I breathe hard as I stretch my back and touch my toes, feeling the oxygen replenish my muscles. As I let out one long breath, a huge smile escapes with it.
“Hey, Ashli! How are you?” I look up to see a friend passing by on the sidewalk. Still a little out of breath and flushed, I don’t hesitate to show it. “I’m really tired…but it’s that good kind of tired,” I say with a smile of accomplishment and victory.
Not everyone loves running like I do, but God has given me great pleasure in it. When the air is crisp and the sun is shining, I can almost hear the Lord whispering to me, "Let's go for a run today." So I tighten my laces, pull back my hair, and run my usual lap around campus, enjoying every panting breath and every pulse of my heartbeat.
The tiredness doesn’t make me want to quit or walk. Instead it makes me want to keep going, to run harder, faster. I am not sure why, but I just really enjoy feeling my heart race and my skin sweat. I love to get outside and work and pray until I have used up all my energy reserve. I love that feeling at the end of a long run – I’m tired, but I’m alive. I’m energized and strengthened. It’s that good kind of exhaustion, representing perseverance and strength.
I haven’t had the chance to run like that in a while. Paperwork, textbooks, and studying have kept me from going on those long runs. This busy schedule, full of activities all day long, has left me exhausted. Exhaustion robs the joy from my days and leaves me short and cranky. It was in this state of breathlessness that I came across 1 Timothy 4:7-8 this week.
“Train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”
In my stress and weariness, I realized that nursing school is the race that God has called me to at this time in my life. Through it all, He is training me to be more godly, more like Him.
I imagined myself running, my steps keeping time for my breaths, my heart pounding in my chest. Only instead of running my regular course around campus, I was running the race of my day to day life. I was running through nursing school, through responsibilities, through commitments, through relationships. I was running through every hour of my day including all the activities that fill my time.
Instead of getting tired and wanting to give up, I felt invigorated to keep pursing the goal. This prize is the knowledge that God has a hold on my life. He has a firm grip on my heart, and I am clinging to His. He has a calling for me, and I will run towards it with every breath I take. In place of exhaustion, I found passion
If my body can be so devoted to running even when I get out of breath, then why does my spirit tire so easily when it comes to the stresses of daily life? Through 1 Timothy this week, the Lord reminded me that this season of my life is a race that He has marked out for me. He is training me in godliness. That same energy that I feel when my legs run, I can channel into my daily race. Instead of getting worn out and giving up when I feel tired, I let the fast heart beat challenge me to keep going.
1 Timothy 4:7-8 reminds us all that our specific stressors are actually like a race course marked out for us. Running with energy and perseverance will train us to be more like Him. And He promises to give us the strength, the breath, and the pulse to keep going even when we get tired. Running hard even becomes a joy as we are able to say, “I’m tired, but it’s that good kind of tired.” We are using up all our energy to train for godliness, all our effort to run with Christ.
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