pull yourself out of the cave...

1 Kings 19:10-14

I must admit that for the past several weeks I have retreated to my cave. Not in the literal sense, as we have been extremely busy, but in the spiritual sense. I read somewhere recently that the challenge as a believer is not when you are in the midst of turmoil but rather when you are in the midst of serenity. This is true for me. When times are good, I find myself not relying on God's word and spirit to guide me, putting more emphasis on my own judgement. This action always seems to follow a major challenge in my journey and a time of ultimate peace in my life. A few hiccups here and there, topped with the stresses of jobs and personal issues and you find yourself back to yearning for God to hear your prayers. Thing is, the spirit is always there, what we lose is the sense of hearing God's voice.

I was sitting on the couch on Sunday, watching the live webcast of Houston's First Baptist Church when the computer died from a low battery. I got up, plugged it back in, and as I did, the pastor began telling the 1 Kings 19 story of Elijah's retreat to a cave on Mt. Horeb, in which he was so frustrated with the world that he retreated until he could again hear God's voice. Normally I would have listened and taken the lesson for what it was worth. This time was different. Not two days prior, I had read the same story in the daily devotional that I get in my email inbox. It's times like these when I find it very difficult to argue against my beliefs...against a God who speaks to us through events and scriptures. A God who brings us out of our caves with his voice and helps us to remember how fulfilling life is when we serve rather than receive. The tangible to my life was harboring stress and anger over the last few weeks, and hiding myself in a cave of self-doubt. It is very difficult to serve and encourage others when you are in this state. The way in which this action was broken for me, some would say a coincidental alignment of events, I believe was divine intervention. 

My knee injury from Ironman Texas has healed to a point where I feel comfortable testing it out in a race setting. I am confident in my swimming and running, but am still living in the cave with my biking. This blog was founded on the premise that this sport saved my life, and once again, I feel like I am being called to march on, pressing forward to the next challenge, and sharing my story with others who are going through the same trials.

Proof that my dedication has paid off, I finally broke the 7min mile barrier for a distance longer than 5k:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/341476883#.UeB8CCSm73w.twitter

Tomorrow presents its own set of challenges as I race the Shadow Creek Ranch sprint. I am hopeful to break the hour mark and place within the top 10 of my age group. Whether this is achieved or not, I am thankful that I am putting myself out there again and not living in the cave.