In high school, my first love was soccer, but my coach recruited me to run track and field because he said it would help me stay in shape, and he could use my speed on the team. I loved the competition and community I found on the track team.
Coach Churchill, whom we fondly called “Church,” had me run races like the 400 meters and the relays, and even do the long jump.
Church walked up to me during one track meet and asked, “How would you like to run hurdles today?”
I raised an eyebrow at him. He had this way of pushing me to embrace new challenges — in the classroom, on the soccer field, and out on the track. Church was a man of faith and someone I trusted as a leader and mentor.
“I’ve never run hurdles before,” I responded.
“I know,” he simply said. “I’ll teach you.”
That was the day I fell in love with the 300-meter hurdles.
Church gave me a quick lesson. I practiced jumping over the hurdle a few times, and then headed to the starting line. There wasn’t time to get nervous. Only a handful of girls were racing that day. I didn’t have anything to lose.
Looking back, I know I didn’t have great hurdle form or strategy in that first race, but I immediately embraced the challenge. I loved that feeling of soaring over those hurdles and the thrill of coming from behind to win the race.
After that, Church had me work with another teacher who ran hurdles in college. Mr. Kritzberg gave me more specific coaching on the best strategy to run hurdles.
I think back to the first bit of advice Mr. Kritzberg gave me: lean in and reach for your laces. The goal was to make my body more aerodynamic. This technique helps a hurdler to maintain balance, propel forward, and get over the hurdle more efficiently.
What if we applied this technique to our life hurdles?
When we see a hurdle in the lane in front of us, it’s easy to get discouraged or overwhelmed. We may want to run away from that hurdle or put on the brakes rather than propel forward.
James writes, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:2-4 NIV).
James was Jesus’ half-brother who helped build the church after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension. James writes primarily for Jewish Christians with reminders that hold truth for us today.
Joy is probably not our default when we face difficulties, but James encourages us to “consider it an opportunity” (NLT) or to “count it all joy” (ESV) when we face hurdles in life.
Sometimes, leaning in might mean naming the hurdle, but not allowing ourselves to get caught up in worst-case-scenario thinking. We need to consider where there might be joy in the process, even when it feels challenging. This reframes the situation and helps me to take that courageous step forward.
Mr. Kritzberg used to tell me not to jump over the hurdle, but to run through it. That puzzled me at first, but he explained that when I’m in a hurdle race, the goal is to maintain speed and momentum. A good hurdler skims over the hurdle, not jumping high and spending a lot of time in the air, which causes her to lose speed.
I can see how this applies to life as well. Sometimes I work so hard to avoid pain, but the truth is: the only way through pain is through. I have to allow myself to run through the challenges instead of trying to avoid or jump over them.
Now I’ve been coaching track and field for more than 20 years at our local high school, where my husband graduated and now my daughters attend. My 16-year-old decided this year she wanted to run hurdles. She’s always been a sprinter, but she needed something new to challenge her.
I’ve been careful not to push my daughters to pursue something just because I did. I want them to choose their own path without pressure. Of course, I was delighted when she decided for herself to try the 300-meter hurdle race — the very race I learned to love in high school.
As I started coaching my daughter, I noticed she would sometimes slow down and stutter-step right before she got to a hurdle. This is common for new hurdlers. I gave my girl the same advice my coach gave me – keep your eyes on the finish line, not the hurdle. Hurdle races are often won in the final strides of the race.
When we focus on the horizon rather than the hurdle, we can run faster and more efficiently for His glory. Finishing well matters.
Friend, I imagine you have some hurdles you are facing today. Maybe you are facing burnout or traversing depression; maybe your marriage feels tense or your child has wandered; maybe you are overwhelmed by work or today’s headlines. Name some of those hurdles. Then visualize yourself leaning in and running them. Look for the hidden joy in the race. Ask God to grow your perseverance and maturity as you run to complete this leg of the race.
Dorina helps people run after the glory of God through her devotional, Walk Run Soar, and her weekly Glorygram.
Dorina,
Thank you for writing this—a good read first thing in the morning!
Would you mind if I included your quote in a piece I’m writing about having divorced parents?
“Sometimes I work so hard to avoid pain, but the truth is: the only way through pain is through.”
Thanks again!
No problem if you share attribution! My web site is DorinaGilmore.com if you want to link to me.
Thank you for the reminder not to focus on worst case scenarios. My husband is facing some health challenges, and I fear that I have been seeing only the negative and worst case. Pray for me to be strong for him and to be positive as we face life style changes.
Melody, it’s hard not to dwell on the “what ifs” but the Holy Spirit can help us see the joy!
Dornia love your reading today. The title is just for me. “How to run life’s hurdles with God” I know God is giving me the strength to do my Dad’s Home cleaning it for him Monday to Friday for the Love of the Lord and the Love of my Dad. Who has the start of Dementia. I will tell you the truth I am person who would easily get annoyed and very sensitive. To see my Dad at 84 with the start of Dementia it breaks my heart. Also that he wants nothing to do with God. Even before he diagnosed with Dementia. I pray for his salvation. I can find it hard doing my Dad’s house looking at my Dad’s change from a man who was so active to a man not a active. Every day difference for him. I only have a certain length of time to do my Dad’s house for him. As my Husband comes to pick me up on his dinner brake from work. My Dad can someone be hard work. I have to have real patiences with my Dad at all times. Only for God helping me run life’s race with him to get the prize when finished my Dad’s. That I can look around saying I have won that race and God gave me the strength to do it with him helping me. Teaching me to have patience at all times. Be thankful I can do it with his help and for the Love of the Lord and my Dad. I am burning out at getting no rest my sister’s go at night to see to our Dad as they work during the day. I getting not enough rest. As my Dad needs and like routine. If you don’t keep to that he gets cross. As he doesn’t understand you need time of to charge your batteries as the saying goes. You get tired even though you don’t mind doing it. He expects you to come and keep that routine every day. If don’t he gets confused why you were not round. As he can’t understand you need a brake. Before he had Dementia he understood and didn’t mind you taking a few days of to rest and charge your batteries up. So I run this race this race and all it hurdles with God as my trainer giving me the push to do it and not give up. To one day win the prize that I ran the race and all it hurdles with God by my side. knowing when I get in Glory one day that is that God is proud of me for not giving up on my Dad and with God’s help to keep on going do all I do for my Dad with the Lord’s strength. Yes it’s not easy but God gives me the strength to do it for him and my Dad. As this verse says in Philippines 4:13 ” I can do all things through Chris who strengthens me.” With God help I can do it. Then when my Dad not here on earth one day I can then hold my head high. Then say think you Lord I was able with your strength to do my Dad’s when alive. Then be proud of myself and that God was by my side. Love Dawn Ferguson-Little Enniskillen Co.Fermanagh N.Ireland xx
We run in His strength!
This is helpful with a decision I’m trying to make. Don’t focus on the worst case scenario, but the joy. Maybe if I can break it down to baby steps, I can get there. Thanks!
Gail, I’m praying for your situation right now. Every step matters. Baby steps too!
Dear Dorina………………..Another devotional from my (incourage) family today and totally relatable to some of my experiences through my 77 years of life, so far. In the beginning teachers in my high school kept telling me (pushing me) to do different things. Play in the band, sing in the chorus play field hockey. There was a bit of a disagreement about the last one. As a junior in high school I had been a cheerleader starting in junior high, and to my surprise, when I got to high school I was elected Captain. I couldn’t do 3 things as they were all at the same time, hockey, marching band and cheerleading. I had to pick one and my parents said to decide myself what my mind and heart were telling me. I guess you can imagine which I picked. “Cheerleading/Captain; however there was a kind of compromise, the band director said, you could play in the concert band and do the same thing with the chorus. I said yes to both and did well and loved all of them. These all helped me as I grew older and had very “large” hurdles”. Too many to list and one that I have been dealing with for the last 5 years. The first hurdle I tried to do it, but stumbled. It was at that time Jesus during one of my prayers said, “Read the Serenity Prayer” again and this will give you the answer and it did, but for awhile, I thought I had the wisdom to know what the prayer says. As more time passed, I realized I was fooling myself and I ” had to have the serenity to accept the things I could not change and finally I realized I didn’t have the wisdom to know that, so on that hurdle, I took a different route and told Jesus, I know now, I cannot do anything myself about this hurdle, but I do have the wisdom and Biblical knowledge to know that You can. And He did, but there are so many more that are there and sometimes the wait is heartbreaking, but I still know that God is working behind the scenes and will, when it is time help me to “make it over those hurdles”. Then I am sure that I can have joy, peace, love and happiness in my life. Thank you Dorina for your story. God wanted me to read it today and I see why. I wish you a Blessed weekend and I send you my love for you (incourage) women always know how to give me HOPE that things will be all right. Betsy Basile
Always grateful to hear the ways the words resonate with you, Dawn! Keep running the race for His glory!
Betsy!
Thank you, Dorina. Life is full of hurdles. But I agree keeping my eyes on Jesus is the best way to win the race of life.
Love ❤️
Carolyn
We can’t avoid them, but we can run through the hurdles with hope! I’ve watched you do this so beautifully!
Thank you very much for this educative massage that really gives us encouragement and hope towards achieving our goals.
Many of us fail to progress just because we lack mentors to instill hope in our carrier.
In our African context, the worst enemy we have is fear.
Stable marriages is a dream yet if we had committed mentors in churches, we would grow spiritually and have families without God fearing people.
Thank you for sharing your context too! Praying now for more mentors to encourage your community!
Dorina,
I ran track in high school so I can relate… Never did the hurdles though.
Thank you for your thoughtful devotional!
Sending you summer joy, Lisa Wilt
I love that you ran track too!