Have you ever watched a track meet? Or run track? Hurdles, specifically? You know, those awkward looking contraptions in the middle of the lane that the runner must straddle-jump as they continue down the track.

In junior high, I thought track looked fun. The 100-yard dash, long jump, triple jump, relay race. And, yeah, even the hurdles. So, I did.

Experienced track runners sail over a hurdle with precision and ease. They have their footing down and never lose speed or rhythm in their stride. It’s seemingly effortless. My experience with hurdles was far less graceful.

Steps off? Run right into the thing like you’re swinging on a monkey bar.

Don’t leap high enough or angle a foot wrong? Spectacular trip; toppling the hurdle and face-planting into the lane.

Like I said – not very graceful. Working up the nerve to try again, and fail again? Yeah, that’s the hard part. Being willing to try and fail enough times to master the technique to begin sailing over the hurdle more often than not? Now THAT is the trick; and it’s freeing and gratifying. Although I got better, it’s not something I ever mastered (and eventually realized that track was, in fact, not my thing).

We often face hurdles of varying size and weight in our everyday life. And if we’ve failed at clearing any before, it can make us hesitant to try again. Or, the hurdle can look so big and heavy, we can’t imagine that any amount of training will prepare us to successfully conquer it.

So, we sit. We look. We pray, even. But we don’t conquer. We let the fear and anxiety of the hurdle conquer us – keeping us pacing at a specific spot on the path, not able to move along. Or worse, dragging that awkward thing along with us, encumbering our steps.

Now, in track, there is no assistance to jumping the hurdle. You run. You jump. And you either sail over it or you don’t. If you don’t, you get up and run toward the next one and hope it turns out better. In life, however, God has a way of, sometimes, sending helpers to assist us with traversing our hurdles. Sometimes we do need to tackle things on our own. But when we can have a helper, hurdles suddenly don’t feel so intimidating or insurmountable. Some hurdles can only be tackled with a helper, and it’s important to wait for God’s perfect helper.

I’ve got a few hurdles in front of me right now. They feel big and scary and paralizingly unapproachable. I’ve also taken some pretty wicked falls (literally) in my life that left me efficiently broken with lasting scars. My figurative falls have left me weary and guarded. But here’s the truth I’m holding tight to: Each hurdle is unique, but He is faithful to always help us over them – in His perfect and unique way and timing.

If you are standing before a hurdle, don’t give up. Keep “training” and trying. And keep your eyes open if He sends a helper. Jumping the hurdle will bring such joy and freedom – and you’ll see a whole new and fresh path on the other side of it. I’m counting on it.

You know the rest…
# loveonpurpose and #LiveYourFaithBoldly

Until next time.