“A dead thing can go with the stream, but only a living thing can go against it.”
– The Everlasting Man, GK Chesterton
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I can see it, the water, just across the room… and yet, I never get all the way there. And, I’m thirsty.
“Why don’t I ever get there?”- I wonder. I look down just to check again, as I often do. Yep, all good. I’m running on my treadmill and it’s working just fine. I don’t know how you do it in your town, but around here we all run on treadmills. It’s the absolute best way to get to the water. My treadmill is smooth, adjustable, modern. Everyone uses one – some are better than others, though. The one I have is good for my knees, I hear. And, I’m extra fierce on mine because there’s a racing stripe down the middle. I feel faster this way.
Lately, though, I’m really, EXTRA thirsty. The water is about 400 feet from me now, I think. I can’t totally tell. It’s definitely closer than last week. Definitely. This new treadmill is working better.
And, I’m working hard at my new program. I bought a new program that helps me improve my running so I can get to the water faster. But, it’s making me thirstier – ah, Catch 22…
I must work harder and harder to improve my skills, my stride, my incline capabilities… the more I strive, the more I want the water, the more I strive!
It’s competitive up in here! So I keep workin’ it. Studying. Reading articles and books. Trying new products to make me a better runner. But I really wish I’d make progress more quickly.
This is torture.
Honestly, can I tell you something? I think I’m going crazy because there’s a voice in my head telling me to get off the treadmill. HA! That’d be ridiculous.
We all know that’s crazy in THIS town. EVERYONE is on a treadmill. I’d be stupid to get off. I’ll fall behind. AND I know someone will steal my spot, too, if I even move off for a moment. I’ve been running a long time. I’m sure I’ll get there soon. I must be closer. I’ve been working really hard on my stride. …
…. The voice is still here, though. I’ve been more tired lately for some reason and the voice is somehow louder when I feel more tired. It keeps telling me to trust it and step onto the ground. It says that the ground is actually MORE helpful for reaching the water than my treadmill is. But, I’m not sure I can believe it.
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It says that the ground is actually MORE helpful for reaching the water than my treadmill is.
But, I’m not sure I can believe it.
The voice of our Creator is always here offering us MORE. Telling us the ground is solid beneath our feet.
If we are honest, we all know there’s more available than what we choose to survive on. We all know that the “getting ahead” on our treadmills is an illusion. We were made my Someone that had better plans than this.
Our creator offers us a solid ground to walk on.
There’s more available to us than we have been told by the powers that want the powers to stay the powers.
The folks on the treadmills at the front of the room want to stay in the front, so they’d like us to all stay on our treadmills. They can continue to tweet and share and sell their tips on how to move faster on the treadmill so we can move up to the front with them. We read and study but never quite make it. Plus, the folks that make the treadmills can keep their power and money only if we stay on and keep a runnin’.
If I just started walking on the ground – trusted its trustworthyness is actually real – I could finally rest and breathe. I could stop buying, striving, and comparing myself to the other treadmill runners. If the ground is actually real and good for walking on…
I would be free to drink. I could finally reach the water I need to live. This would be GOOD NEWS.
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“A dead thing can go with the stream, but only a living thing can go against it.”
– The Everlasting Man, GK Chesterton
You are ALIVE, my friend! You are alive. You are not dead. You do not have to go with the stream unless you want to. If you want to change things up, you can.
