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Dangerous Women: Article 1 A Woman on the Run (continued) <prev | page 4 of 4 | by Lynne Hybels |
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Second, I've been challenged by Beth's discipline. This summer, as our circle of mutual friends enjoyed Friday evening dinners together, Beth was usually the first to leave because she had to be up early on Saturday to do "a long run" with her training team. But the flipside of her disciplined choices is the obvious sense of fulfillment and empowerment she is experiencing. I wonder how much writing I'd have gotten done this summer if I'd followed Beth's example! Third, as a woman "of a certain age," whose body does not have the "look and feel" it once did, I feel definite similarities with pre-teen girls. Like them, I need to engage in activities that honor and enhance the strength and usefulness of my body. I am never going to run a marathon (though talking with Beth almost makes me want to!), but I need to be more consistent about the forms of physical activity I enjoy so I can feel that sense of empowerment that comes when women pursue physical strength and face physical challenges. (A minor boating accident and a cracked rib sidelined me from the physical goals I had set for myself this summer…but I am not going to let Beth's lesson be wasted on me…I promise to report on new "physical goals" in the coming months.) Fourth, I am challenged to be more consistent with practices that lead me into an awareness of God's presence and into the practice of prayer. For years I walked early in the morning because I knew that in the cool, quietness of the morning my soul was still enough to meditate and pray. Slowly I've drifted away from that, but Beth's morning runs call me back to that…and I'm going to respond. "I think women can change the world," Beth told me. "But we have to recognize the small steps we need to embrace to get us started. I'm inspired to help other women realize that what they bring to the table is important. So much power is released if we work together and help one another find our unique contribution. I know I can't do everything…but through GOTR I'm doing something. I'm having an impact. I'm contributing. That's priceless to me." Note: This year Elizabeth Wright is running the Chicago Marathon to raise funds for World Vision, a Christian humanitarian organization caring for needy children throughout the world. If you’d like to contribute to Elizabeth’s World Vision fund, please visit http://www.firstgiving.com/ewright
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