Slip 'n Sliding

There are definitely times in my life when I feel overwhelmed.

Right now is currently one of those times.

I just feel like I have way too much going on, and it's almost as if I'm standing and sinking in a pool of quicksand, but there is no one there to pull me out. Cue the scene from "The Princess Bride." (Love that movie, by the way.) Anyway, it's like I am reaching my hand in the air, but the sand is beginning to cover my bracelets, so I know my hand is the next thing to go.

Then, somehow and some way, my breath returns, and I'm standing on the outside of the trap of the sands of death, feeling almost refreshed and renewed.

God.

He's the only answer in times like these. You know, those times when you are trying to be a great teacher, an effective coach, a successful grad student, a caring friend, an avid fan, a fast runner, a loving family member, learning to drive a bus, and still trying to enjoy the rest of whatever pops up in life. If I didn't have Him, I would be at the bottom of that quicksand pit in a heartbeat, and there really would be absolutely no one there to get me back on solid ground.

If you think about it, life is a lot like a giant Slip 'n Slide: if you don't take off fast enough, and you don't have enough power behind you, you're essentially going nowhere, and you are going to crash and burn. And it will hurt. But if you decide to take on your task full-throttle and head-first with as much zeal as you can muster, you are going to coast a great distance in soaring fashion and have an absolute blast.

We were Slip 'n Slide champs. Thanks, Skipper.

I remember when I was little, my dad would always make sure that our Slip 'n Slide had plenty of water so that my brother, sister, and I could all be successful in our attempts at making it to the end without stopping. That's what God does for us every day: He provides for us. Even when it seems like our personal Slip 'n Slides are suffering droughts, or our quicksand pits are heavier and more daunting than ever, He is there to give us a hand, ensure we have enough water, or just plain carry us.

So, I have pretty much decided that I'm going to treat the tough times just like my days of the front yard Slip 'n Slide: I'm going to take off at full speed, dive into them head-first, and let a powerful force beyond my control take me where I need to go.

Just like my dad wouldn't let me fail on that yellow tarp, I know God will never abandon me. It's comforting to know that, even when things seem way out-of-control, my quicksand will never be too much, and my Slip 'n Slide will never run dry.

Dream job

I suppose I could say I'm living the dream life.

Well, for me at least.

Growing up (especially toward the end of high school), I claimed that I wanted to be a sports reporter when I got older. This was partly true—I really did like the idea of being the next Linda Cohn or Erin Andrews. But, in the back of my mind, the thought of teaching and coaching was more appealing to me. I think my high school cross country coach had a lot to do with that. She truly was inspirational, and she even told me she could see me as a coach later in life.

So what did I do? I majored in journalism in college so that I could pursue sports reporting.

Then, after I graduated, I got my first reporting job covering high school sports for a local city. I honestly loved it (most of the time), but I found it peculiar that, when interviewing coaches, I frequently wished I were on the other end of the interview—not because I wanted to be interviewed, but because I knew what I was really supposed to be in life.

One morning while I was running, I was praying and found myself in a bunch of confusion. I was thanking God for my job, but at the same time I was asking for clarity: Why was I not content? I prayed for discernment and for God to reveal to me what I was supposed to do. I certainly didn't want to quit my job, but I knew it wasn't where I should be.

Sometimes God answers so clearly that it's almost ridiculous.

We had a company meeting later that morning, and our president announced that we were going out of business. I felt things could not get more obvious at this point. It was time to pursue what I was really meant to do.

So sweet that my runners picked me flowers. :)

Honestly, the only way to describe how I ended up with the greatest teaching job I could ever want in the fall of that year is simply the grace of God and His amazing plan.

Then this summer, after teaching at this school for three wonderful years, I was given the opportunity to add cross country/track coach to the mix. After much more consulting with God, I knew it was the right thing to do. Sure, I've gotten a lot less sleep since July (thanks mostly to being in grad school still and now having to go through bus driving certification), but it's so worth it. I absolutely love what I do, and I wouldn't trade my job for any other job out there.

I've learned that life doesn't always lead us to where we thought we would be. But sometimes it does. And, even if we're too stubborn to follow His plan the first time, that doesn't mean He won't still lead us to where we need to be. That's just His mercy and grace in action.

Who doesn't love seeing the sunrise at practice every morning?

My life at 27 may not be everything I originally pictured—let's just say I definitely didn't think I would still be this single—but I absolutely consider myself blessed beyond belief.

Decide and conquer

There are times when I appreciate a little adversity.

I realize that not everything in life is going to be easy, and many challenges just have to be embraced and overcome. Sometimes that means something as simple as getting out of bed when your alarm clock goes off the first time. Sometimes it's something more serious—like staring cancer in the face and deciding you're going to kick its a**. Regardless, we are all going to come across things in life that we really just want to go away.

Cue this morning. I woke up to my alarm, accompanied by the sound of something I didn't want to hear: pouring rain. I went to the Taylor Swift concert last night and didn't get to bed until 1 a.m., so waking up a little after 4 and realizing that, not only was I completely exhausted but now would also have to go get soaking wet, was not quite a comforting thought. I honestly just wanted to close my eyes and fall back to sleep, but I needed to get my long run in and make it to church on time.

When I got outside, I just kind of stared at the rain coming down, thinking about how nice it felt right then to be dry. I didn't want any part of the rain. I finally made myself take off and not even think about the fact that the rain was so cold, and I would be in it for a lengthy period of time.

But, after a few minutes, I became content. It was actually really fun getting that wet while doing one of my favorite things in the world. I have to admit that I was even a little bit sad when the rain died down about four or five miles into my run.

Just smile through even the coldest moments.

It's almost as if I needed some additional challenges after the rain stopped, because I took a turn that I knew would only lead me to one place: hills.

I live in a very hilly city, and there are some areas that are worse (or better, depending on your outlook) than others. For some reason, I was just craving the giant ones today. There were a few that caused me to utter not-so-nice things (all G-rated, of course) to myself, but I was thankful at the top of each one that I had taken that path. And, at the end of my run, I was grateful for both the rain and the hills.

Just like this morning's run, life throws all kinds of obstacles at us, and we have to deal with them. We have to face the rain that ruins our good hair days. We have to conquer those hills that set our legs on fire and leave us more breathless that we'd prefer.

We have to battle whatever elements decide to invade our lives. We can't always have flat courses; we can't always have clear, blue skies. Sometimes things are going to get ugly, but that doesn't mean our lives have to. As former NFL linebacker Keith Davis says: "Tough times don't last; tough people do."

When rain starts to pour in your life, just soldier through it. When it stops, just know that there might be a few climbs that follow. Tackle those hills (or mountains), and laugh at them when you've made it to the top.

Life's way too short to let adversity get in the way of sweet victory.