Catching My Breath

James 1:2-4: Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

During the middle of my workouts, I am really not enjoying myself. Being out of breath and struggling to complete another rep or interval is not necessarily the best feeling in the world, or is it? I actually enjoy myself while I am training because I have my eye on the prize. The prize is the results of my training; the endorphin high, the feeling of accomplishment and well-being. I enjoy the results of training and hard work so much so that I consider it a good trade-off for the temporary pain and anguish I may be going through at the moment.
The same can be said about other aspects of life: the pain of depression or fear, a financial setback, the loss of a loved one. These are all tests which we will more than likely encounter. The key is to keep your eye on the prize. Like training, it may not be enjoyable at the moment but it can be a chance for your faith, endurance, and strength to grow. Before you know it, what you once considered a huge deal in the past may become an issue that can be tolerated much more easily. What used to scare you may not any longer. What once caused you to become down and depressed may actually lift your spirits.
I know that in my own life, some of my toughest trials led to my greatest victories. Had I been unwilling to endure the trial, I may have never known the victory that awaited me. Now, I know that when I am tested, my best days are ahead as long as I am willing to keep running even when I can hardly breathe.