I ran 10 miles today. All at once. Totally healthy.

It’s been one year since I got stuck in the cycle of sickness and injuries. And today, on Earth Day, I got to enjoy 10 gorgeous pain free miles. What a beautiful reminder of God’s redeeming love and grace.

So many times over the past year, I’ve been faced with the decision to choose resilience or choose despair. I fought like heck each and every time to chose resilience. As I was finishing up mile 10 today, I couldn’t help but smile through my spit-filled face.

I was so glad I battled to choose resilience.

I believe that finding something we are passionate about is a unique and fragile gift. Along with passion, though, comes real life. And in real life, obstacles get thrown at us to test our passion. I think the true test of passion is whether or not we choose resilience over despair.

It is often far too easy to curl up in a ball, play the blame game, feel sorry for ourselves, and binge on Netflix and Chocolate ice cream– essentially holding up a sign for the world to see reading, “I choose despair, please feel bad for me!” It is far more difficult to choose resilience. Resilience is choosing to hold on to hope, despite the fact that we might get kicked in the face and run over EVEN if we are doing all the right things– a lesson my former coach taught me all too well.

Recently, I’ve been reminded of something that makes it much easier to choose resilience.

Nobody, including God, promised me a great outcome even if I’m working hard. God didn’t promise that this life would be easy.

God didn’t promise us that if we did everything we were “supposed to do” and “played by the rules” that life would be #awesome and #blessed all the time.

What He did promise is that despite all of the pain, brokenness, and heartache that we face in this world, we get to spend an eternity with Him. Despite our sinful nature, Jesus still died on the Cross so that we could inherit The Kingdom of Heaven. Cue Easter.

I’ve tried to make a habit of writing down promises I’ve made up in my head verses promises that are actually true.

For example:

Made up promise: I am loved because of my athletic talents and outgoing personality.

True Promise: I am loved solely because Jesus died for my sins. And that love cannot be broken.

Here’s another example:

Made Up Promise: If I work hard and do the right things, I will not get injured, get sick, or be forced to take days / years off.

True Promise: I live in a sinful world and will experience heartache. I will only be in a perfect world in Heaven.

I think calling out fake verses real promises in life makes it easier to choose resilience, even when my brain would rather choose despair. This practice is a good reminder to me that ultimately, I am not looking to inherit the Earth, but rather the Kingdom of God. Knowing that one day I’ll get to spend an eternity with Jesus makes choosing resilience a no brainier. Every. Single. Time.

It’s been a battle. Choosing resilience has required me to fight tooth and nail through some pretty tough days.

But it’s been so worth it.

I know The Lord much better as a result. And I’m that much more passionate about the fragile gift that I chose to protect: running.

Doing a mini celebration right now because… I mean… 10 miles. It’s been a long time coming. God is restorative.

There is still a lot of distance to go, quite figuratively and literally, before I am back to where I was at before getting sick. But until then, I will continue to choose resilience. It’s totally, unequivocally, worth it:)

Happy Easter, Happy Earth Day, and Happy 70 degrees and Sunny!

~ Rachel Weber<3