Wait Training

When I played basketball, my coach used to require us (players) to perform some of our drills wearing weights around our ankles. These were never my favorite exercises, in fact...I despised them. Those weights wore me down! Everything that used to come so easily, such as dribbling maneuvers, quick feet defense, not to mention running up and down the court, required much more physical and mental effort when sporting those nuisances. All of us girls on the team would groan when we saw our coach pull them out of the closet! And oh, how we wanted to take the weights off in the middle of practice, but our coach always reinforced the importance of building endurance. "You'll thank me later," he'd say. He was right. When time came for our team to play in a tournament, all of us were faster, stronger, and in much better condition than our opponents because we all had persevered through our weight-training.

The Lord got me thinking about this about a month ago when some of my physical symptoms in this illness mimic the same physical strain of those training-day experiences. It literally feels as if I am wearing a lead suit; as if I have several of those weights tied to both my hands and ankles. The Lord reminded me of how grateful I was for the discipline in my basketball training because of the difference the added weight made in the actual game performance. Though the discipline at the time was unpleasant-it did have its rewards in the end. The same truth is applicable now; though at present, this illness and its symptoms are not pleasant, they are building in me an endurance and perseverance that will equip me with God's strength to run faster and stronger the race the Lord has called me to run in due time.

Why does Paul admonish us to rejoice in our sufferings? (ref. Rom. 5:3) Because God is fashioning in us perseverance, character, and hope (vs. 4-5) so that when He does bring us out of our problems, we will run faster, harder, and stronger by the power of His Spirit formed in us to overcome and outlast our enemy.

That's why Isaiah says, "those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles. They shall run and not grow weary. They shall walk and not faint". (Isa. 40:31) Trials are God's version of "wait-training". He's up to something. And when we come out of the trial, we will be ready to pursue the good life the Lord has called us to live!

"No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." (Heb. 12:11)