Praise You in This Storm

(Casting Crowns)

And I'll praise you in this storm
and I will lift my hands
for You are who You are
no matter where I am
and every tear I've cried
You hold in your hand
You never left my side
and though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

The marathon is the perfect storm. The storm takes place internally, externally, physically and mentally. It is concentrated in those 26.2 miles from the first step beyond the start to the last step at the finish. Some could argue that the storm starts months earlier during training and intensifies throughout the marathon. Since I run so many marathons a year, the storm to me takes place during those 26.2 miles. What does the storm consist of? The storm internally relates to the functioning of the body itself – the physiology to be exact. Did I eat enough carbohydrates and hydrate well enough to stockpile the glycogen stores? Will my digestive system work efficiently? If and when will it shut down? Will my breathing and lung capacity be right? Will my heart handle the stress that I ask to be placed upon it? These questions relate to the internal storm and can be minimized through training. However, no training completely calms this storm. The external storm relates to the conditions, most of which are out of your control. By picking a particular marathon at a particular time of year and in a particular place you can attempt to control the external storm but not entirely. The weather is what it is and you get what you get on marathon day and you don’t complain. All courses are different and some will give you a storm of challenges from hills to concrete from potholes of the urban jungle to potholes of Mother Nature (trails).

The physical demands of the storm emerge when the battle with the internal storm starts to become lost. The body passes through so many stages during a marathon. In essence, it is like the weather. If you don’t like how you are feeling, wait awhile and it will change. Unfortunately, the converse is also true. You may feel amazing physically but that too may change for the worse as a “thunderstorm” approaches with lightning, hail, rain and wind. What happens when you have a summer rain storm with the sun shining? A rainbow appears and it is beautiful. The colors are vibrant and it appears to lead nowhere and somewhere at the same time. This is the essence of the marathon’s physical storm. The mental storm may be the most difficult to weather. The mind can be a human’s worst enemy yet be one’s most supportive friend. The mind must “manage” all the other storms while enduring its own storm. I would argue that weathering the marathon storm is an exercise in mental perseverance and extending the calm before the storm throughout the marathon. The mind will allow you to drown or help you survive and this IS under your control.

I have approached my last two marathons (Houston and 2 weeks ago, Little Rock) with peace and relaxation. It is not to say that I don’t encounter the storm. I know that the storm will come all the same. However, by praising God in the storm, the calm and relaxed feelings I feel before the marathon (the calm before the storm) helps me weather the storm through Him.

I lift my eyes unto the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth

The marathon is such a metaphor for life – life is also a storm. I don’t mean to minimize the intense storms that we encounter in life by comparing it to a marathon but it is representative of what we encounter in life. We must look to God to weather the storm of life. Although you may barely hear His whisper, He is with you always. He knows what you need to weather the storm. Learning this, I have a different approach to the marathon as well as life.

I remember when I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry to You
and raised me up again
my strength is almost gone how can I carry on
if I can't find You
and as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away