The "After"...

I've wrote about many things that come to mind about running & how it relates to life ... even how it relates to our spiritual walks in this world.

The prepartion for a race... making it through the times you feel like you cant go on when you're only half way through the miles... crossing that finish line with pride...

... but something hit me that I never really thought of before... something they dont really tell you when you run a race.

See?  You know when you go to the starting line, you know there is a race, you know there is a finish line & you think, 'That's it - I did it - its over' ... but its not over...

Once you cross that finish line - you usually have to walk a good distance to get out of the way of the other runners - you then have to usually wait for a bus or tram to get you back to your car that is parked across town, or you can even walk or still run back to your car if its not too far.  You cross a finish line, but you usually arent heading home until a good 30 minutes later, if not longer...

But that's what we dont really think about... the "after"

Because the "after" is when you are exhausted, tired from giving everything you've got, when you feel like you cant take another step.

...the "after" is when the soreness comes in, when the healing starts in the muscles & the blisters & the achy feet....

...the "after" is when you just want to relax & lay down & rest...

...you've finished the race, but the "after" is still with you for quite awhile...

We forget there is an "after" in the hard times in our life.  A time where we go through rough patches, times that just knock us off our feet & we SURVIVE, but the "bruises" of that time still are around & it takes time to heal.  Words someone said... hearts that were broken... fights that happened... lifes that were changed.  Its those moments that you know you're OK - you crossed the finish line - but the aches stick with you for awhile.

... but you get stronger & you heal & you get back on the starting line of life & you go into another race.

So I just wanted to let anyone know that is in that "after" period - someone who is coming out of a hard time, a rough patch, a storm in your life... if you're still hurting, or healing - its OK!  You're on the backside of it.  You will heal!  You will get your strength back!  You will be stronger to stand at the starting line of the next race in your life, ready to tackle it all again!