Resolution #3

TO NOT FALL DOWN! Good luck with that. Twice this year. Which probably isn't much considering how many days and how many miles I ran this year. This morning I wiped out. Had there been judges, I would have scored high 9's and 10's on this one. Here's the story.
I couldn't sleep last night. I was dealing with two separate issues that had me unable to sleep, required prayer, and by 4:30 a.m. when I was still up, I layered up, laced up, and hit the road. Told Nate to keep his phone on and close to him in case I needed someone. This sounds early, but if it was a work day, it would not be too early, so I figured I was okay. I ran. Hard. I thought I would run and pray and run until I felt I needed to turn around. At 7 miles, I turned around, even though I didn't think it was necessary, it was just far enough. Did I get an answer to my prayers? Actually, didn't need an answer, needed the strength and guidance to just do the right thing. Some things I don't need to pray and ask for answer, God's Word is very clear on our responsibilities as parents, "train up a child", "spare the rod, spoil the child", "parents, do not provoke your children", etc. It's just hard. It's also very cut and dried, "wives, submit to your husbands". So the prayer time was not asking for guidance, it was asking for the kick in the pants this willful woman needed to do what she knew was right.
So here I am on my 14 mile run. It's 21 degrees. I can see my breath. To the point that a few times I felt I was running through fog. I am flying. For me, this was the fastest double digit time I have ever posted. I was wearing my headlamp, but I was not concentrating on the path. I'm on my way home, about mile 9.5 and I have to cross a bridge, on the street with 5 lanes of traffic. It's 6:30, not much traffic, but I still sprint across the bridge (I have to, there is a bike path sidewalk that runs under this bridge, but I have seen sleeping bags and two liter bottles under there, so I don't ever run underneath the bridge by myself). I get across the bridge, hop over the cement divider and hit the ground running. For two steps. Then I'm skidding on my hands, chest, belly and thighs. Lots of things hurt, so I lay really still for a moment to see how badly I'm hurt. Fortunately I'm covered head to toe, so there is no blood. I did rip a whole in the palm of my right glove, but since I was wearing two pair, I was okay. After a moment of being still, I started getting cold and I realized I was okay to continue running and not call Nate to come pick me up, so I took off again. 16 hours later the bruises have shown up, and I'm stiff. Both knees are purple, my left thigh is scraped and purple, my stomach has a bruise and the back of my left hand is bruised. I can't explain that one. I still consider this a successful run. I came home with peace about how to deal with my circumstances (and they weren't terrible, but when it's family relationships, it's always a big deal to me to handle it correct) and a 14 mile run in 149:26 which for me is moving for that distance, and includes the time I spent skidding and laying on the sidewalk.
So back to resolution #3. The wipe out this morning is almost metaphorical for me. Had I not spent the time praying and clearing my head (on my run) and had handled my situation the way I wanted to in the moment, I would've wiped out. I would not have been proud of the my immediate decision, would've had to apologize, and then would have felt bad. This would've been a harder wipe out to heal from then my literal wipeout. I resolve this year to "not fall down". To make decisions after I talk to God. After I search his Word, or just remember the Scriptures I know that deal with the topic I'm needing to make a decision on.