Running After Your Dreams, Part 2 | Sally Perry

Yesterday, Sally shared with us about how she began to rediscover her dreams for her life.  Here's is the second part of her story:

The testimony that was posted yesterday was read in church the day after I ran in The Color Run.  For those of you don't know, The Color Run is a 5k where volunteers stand at each kilometer you complete to douse you with a cornstarch color mixture, leaving you a total colorful mess by the end of the race.

I set out to run a 5k two years ago, and after many stops and starts on training I got serious and signed up for this one.   I had worked up to running from one minute at a time to 5-6 minutes at a time. I went from a 21 minute walk/jog mile to 17 minutes.  The closer I got to the 5k, I started to experience injuries and setbacks in my training.  I just wanted to forget the whole thing.  I had intentions of running this, getting it over with and never speaking of running again.

For months, I knew that there was something spiritual about me running this.  I didn't understand what it was, but it felt like it was big.  So the good news?  I finished.  The bad news was that almost immediately into the run, I felt my leg pulling a little and it felt like a rubber band getting ready to break, and my feet felt like I was literally walking barefoot on hot coals.   I was totally not prepared for running on the uneven, cruel pavement.  I literally was afraid to run at that point, like something was going to break if I did.  Disappointment in myself doesn't even begin to explain the feeling I had.    

However, as I was walking to the finish line I was kind of lamenting to God, “What the heck was this all about God?”  "Seriously, this is my big “spiritual breakthrough”...this is a joke.”  I felt like God said, “This isn't the ending, it's a beginning.”  I know for me things are so much sweeter when I can look back and see how far I've come.   I will never forget the feeling I had of not being able to run the 5k. 

But instead of self-loathing, I believe it has changed my thinking about goals and dreams.  Before I even finished I thought, I'm coming back and doing this until I can run it.  So I will sign up next year.  I won't be näive about what it will take this time.  I also learned that I am no longer the girl who would take this disappointment home and use it as an excuse to give up.  To drown my sorrows in chocolate and donuts.  That girl died this weekend.  I am a fighter.  I know that now.  That is what my weekend was about.  

Dreams don't always turn out exactly how you think they should go, but this went exactly as I needed it to and exactly how God intended it, and that is good enough for me.   I won't quit dreaming.  And, I won't quit running either.

Running After Your Dreams, Part 1 | Sally Perry

This was read to the congregation during the July 29 service.  Sally wrote her thought about the Dream Culture class that she has attended this year.:

To be honest (which I always prefer), when my husband, John, told me that he signed us up for this "dream class", I was like, "REALLY?"  Great, totally in a sarcastic way.  I mean, come on, I don't have time to dream.  In case you don't know me,  I am a bit of a pessimist.  In fact, the glass half full/half-empty thing doesn't even apply to me.  I told John one day, "If my glass ever got close to half-full somebody would come by and kick it over."  Yep, thats me.  Jesus is working on fixing that little flaw in me.

I remember dreaming at a child.  Wonderful, fun awesome things that I would do in my life.  I had great plans of where I would go, where I would live, what awesome things I would do.  Then...life happened.  To make a long story short, I got bitter and was certain God didn't care about my dreams.  So, when I showed up that first Thursday night, I was, to say the least, skeptical and seriously a bit irritated that John had gotten me into this.

I was pretty honest about how I felt.  Okay, maybe not at the first class (I had to give a good first impression to some people I barley knew).  Then when we were told to come up with 100 dreams, I thought, "yeah right".  As I started to read the book and listen to the others in the class, I realized I wasn't that much different.  Everyone had had their struggles.  When I started praying and pondering about those dreams I thought were dead I began to realize some were the same I had as a child.  Some were new that reflected where I am in my life and some came out of nowhere.  I actually began to think, "hey, maybe God put that there for a reason," "maybe, just maybe, if I start to put one foot in front of the other with God's help I could see some of those dreams come to pass".

So, that is why I am unable to be here to give this testimony.  Because this weekend, I am putting one foot in front of the other to achieve one of my dreams.  I am in Indianapolis running my first 5K.  Yep, thats right, the non-athletic girl that couldn't climb the rope in gym class, the girl that had knee surgery at 14 due to a torn cartilage and freaky birth defect on my left knee.  Now why would God care about me running a 5K?  Because He loves me!  I have many more dreams on my list that would seem much more important to the Kingdom, but God knows this is important to me.

If you are skeptical and beaten down like I was, I encourage you to start seeking God concerning your dreams.  You may be surprised what comes to light.  The world told me this chubby girl couldn't run. Christ says I can do ALL things through Him. Believe in your dreams. HE does!!! 

(Stay tuned for Part 2, tomorrow!)

A note from Kate:

This weekend, we are hosting the Dreaming With God conference at Open Door.  If you are looking to reawaken you dreams, and see what dreams God can't wait to fulfill in your life, we invite you to come and spend a couple days dreaming with Him!  To register, visit dreaming.opendoorcf.org.