Freedom in Failure

Sixteen days from now, Rob and I are participating in a triathlon. I am clearly not a real triathlete because I never know how to say that. You don't "run" a triathlon. Do you "do" a triathlon? That seems too broad. To say that I will 'finish" a triathlon is a little presumptuous on my part. Trust. Me. Yes, the goal is to finish, but I'm fully prepared to hitch a ride on the back of the photographer's kayak during the swim if needed. So, I've settled on "participating." These are the things I think about while swimming. Maybe if I focused more on how the heck to breathe while I swim, I wouldn't look like a duck trying to dodge a swarm of bees. Are ducks even scared of bees? Anyway... it's not pretty. 

If you know me, you're as shocked as I am that I've actually committed to this thing. I don't exercise. In college I had to take a P.E. class for my elementary education major. I was too sore to walk the day after we had to lunge across the playground with the second graders. A few years later I threw my back out playing a (very competitive) Wii bowling game. Later that year I pulled a muscle during a really good attempt at pilates. My doctor prescribed muscle relaxers, rest, and of course, no more pilates. 

Rob is not like me in this. He's a stud. And he's always up for a challenge. Two of his life goals are to run a full marathon (he's already barely finished a half) and to complete a triathlon. Two of mine are to allow him to run races and to cheer him on from the sidelines. Kidding. Sort of. 

So how did I end up here, registered for a sprint triathlon in the middle of June? Basically, I'm crazy. And I also really love my husband. It's not that I haven't wanted to do things he enjoys before now. It's been more about my heart. I don't like doing things with a very high chance of failure ahead of me. Success is so much better than failure, until it becomes more about the success than the journey. I chose to start something at which I knew I would be terrible. Where I would fall on my face a thousand times -literally once or twice- and then get up to take the very next step. 

It is incredibly freeing to do something that's outside your own strength. I am all about finding your gifts, strengths, and talents and then operating in those. It's the sweet spot. That's where ministry and life flourish because God has gifted each of us in completely unique ways. I believe with all my heart He created you to glorify Him using the gifts He gave you. However, when you act in your weaknesses, He is strong. He proves to be faithful when you are on your last leg. He breathes life into my weary body when I would rather jump off the bike. 

Y'all, He is so glorified in our weakness! If we could wrap our heads around that truth, then our lives wouldn't have to be about the successes or the failures. As long as you are in Christ, you are free to enjoy the journey without any concern about the outcome.

Now I do hope the outcome of this is not me crossing the finish line on a stretcher. If that happens, I'm moving on to my own life goals of owning a coffee shop and taking the fam to Disney World.