Labor Day weekend 2019 I was in San Marcos, Tx for soccer games. San Marcos is one of my favorite cities to visit because of the San Marcos River. The river is a natural spring fed river that is always as clear as a cloudless summer morning. The water is beautifully refreshing and is home to endangered Texas Wild Rice. The river winds through Texas State University campus and its frequented by students of TSU. There is a stretch of river called Rio Vista Park where the water dances over smoothed rock walls. You can jump in the river and float over these falls the cool water tosses you about like a leaf in the wind. That spot is a must see "moeo" spot.
That Sunday morning I was running along the river and ran through the campus of Texas State. I came around a corner and saw a road named Alta Vista Dr. Alta Vista is Spanish for "high view", I think the name speaks for itself. Instinctively I turned and began running up the hill. It would have been easy to keep running on the flat road through campus but I turned uphill. As I have said before, I love to run and I love to suffer on the run. So the temptation of climbing up the road and battling my will was too much to pass up.
The morning was hot with a humidity level that brought sweat instantly and the sun was completely unobstructed. I was already drenched after 20 minutes of pacing at a comfortable clip just enjoying the morning. Without a thought, my steps began to take me up the climb and instantly I felt the effort change. Then my thought drifted to how odd it was to purposely choose to take the more difficult path, a path that would surely bring suffering. Why? Why had I chosen without a minute of hesitation to take the hard road?
No one was watching. I had nothing to prove. I was not trying to impress anyone because no one was around. I will be honest, I am often guilty of trying to impress those I see when I run. I am not above ramping the pace past uncomfortable to make an emphatic point to an unsuspecting runner who crosses my path. Silly! I know. But that is the heart of a runner. But we will save that for another chapter. This time I was all alone. So why choose the hard road? Why choose to RUN HARDER?
I think this raises the question, what good is suffering? That hill that day made me feel stronger. I didn't need that for someone else, I needed that for me. I needed to prove to myself that I was stronger in my mind and body than those who wouldn't make that choice. I needed to feel the suffering that Alta Vista would provide to feel even more alive. I needed to know I could still face the challenge of that hill. And if I could accept that challenge, when there was no need to, then I would know without a doubt that when suffering comes that I did not choose, but that chose me, I would be ready to take it without a hint of fear. See I believe that it is suffering that makes me stronger. So yes it would be easier to run the flat trail, or to not run at all. But I want to explore the limit of my potential! Not only in running, but in life. I want to run my life along the highest road and relish in that view. So when I am faced with a choice in life to attack Alta Vista, I will attack it in such a way that there will be no hesitation because that is how I run, and that is how I live.
Suffering will come to us without us choosing it in this life, that is inevitable. But when we make it a habit to seek out difficult things that will make us stronger, we will be ready for the battle when it comes asking questions of what we are made of. I want to ask those questions first so I will not be surprised by the answer when suffering comes calling.
One of my favorite quotes from Alexandre Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo speaks of facing life's storms. Edmund says to Albert..."Life is a storm my young friend. You will bask in the sunlight one moment, be shattered on the rocks the next. What makes you a man is what you do when the storm comes. You must look into that storm and shout as you did in Rome. Do your worst for I will do mine. Then the fates will know you as we do. "
That's what I want! I want to stare into the storms of life and stand firm in my faith and say, Do your worst, for I will do mine!!
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