Keep running whilst it’s raining

I think a lot of people would agree that 2021 was a tough year. At times, it was difficult to see the blessings amongst the uncertainties, struggles and stresses. I certainly had one of my toughest years on record and was ready to move on to the new year with a clean slate. It fascinates me that the human brain seems wired to think that when the calendar clicks over to a new year, all problems will go away, that somehow, we will be better, stronger, fitter. I love this about the human psyche.

1 January 2022 started with a bang as I watched the fireworks over the Brisbane river and CBD. After a few hours sleep, I woke up full of energy. In spite of the rain, I decided to do parkrun as planned and was ecstatic to do my best 5km time in years. Unfortunately, just hours later I was hit hard with extreme heartbreak. On the first day of the year that was to be my fresh start I was confronted with an enormous hurdle. It was a wakeup call.

As I look forward into 2022, I realise it’s not likely to be a perfect year. Whilst I don’t expect to have the same challenges as last year, it’s bound to have its own difficulties. But it is also going to be jam-packed with opportunities, fulfilled dreams and blessings. I don’t usually make new year’s resolutions – the typical “get fit” or “lose weight” are not on my radar. But I’m going to make an exception for 2022. Whilst not denying the existence of challenges, I’m going to turn my focus to the intentional identification and pursuit of my passions. In my case this is going to centre around my relationships with God and the important people in my life. It will mean looking up and reaching out when pain surrounds me rather than withdrawing. It will also entail finishing (and publishing) a book I have started writing and moving overseas.

Are you ready to join me in my quest? To relish existing blessings and turn obstacles into opportunities in pursuit of your passions? It’s not about putting on rose-tinted glasses and pretending problems don’t exist. It’s about training ourselves to see reality in a different way, to move forward, to keep running whilst it’s raining.

A week after my original post, my commitment to the quest was put to the test……

Yesterday morning I was running in the rain again. 10km out and metres shy of the turnaround to head for home, I was approached from behind by a butcher bird. It swooped down in front of my face. I put my hand up to my eye and there was blood. My husband looked on with a look of shock horror on his face.

My immediate response was “oh no, not another struggle to have to deal with”. Standing there with blood on my hands, I had a choice whether to sit down and cry or to turn around and run home. I chose to remind myself of my own commitment to overcoming obstacles and in this case literally to “keep running whilst it’s raining”. I managed to complete the run back without further incident and even at a reasonable pace. More than that, I’m extremely grateful that the bird missed my eye – albeit by millimetres. Other than blue swelling in my eye socket and a mild headache, I am none the worse for wear. Whilst a nasty incident, the problem could’ve been so much worse.

I’m still working on how I deal with and overcome other current obstacles……a work in progress………but remain determined to “keep running in the rain”.