I've heard it. I've read it. As long as I have been running, it's always
been the same message: "drink plenty of water."
All along most race courses are water stations, and most runners slow down
to drink a cup of cool water. Keeping your water level up is critical when
you run. If you get slightly dehydrated, you will not run well. If you get
moderately dehydrated, you will become disoriented. If you get seriously
dehydrated, you can die. It's serious business.
The first year I ran was 1991, and I was inexperienced (also younger,
slimmer, stupider, etc.) I passed water stop after water stop, occasionally
drinking a swallow or two. I felt good, and I wasn't going to waste
precious seconds drinking water, even though it was a hot, humid day.
Big mistake. As I neared the final mile, I "hit the wall." My energy level
dropped to zero, I began having to walk some, and I realized I would have
to work hard just to finish. I did make it across the line, but only with a
tremendous headache and hardly enough energy to walk. It was not much fun.
I learned an important lesson that year. Stopping for water doesn't actually
slow you down. In fact, you will run a better race if you do drink water.
The bottom line is that your body is simply not designed to function without
water.
In the same way, your spiritual stamina depends on stopping for regular
drinks of "spiritual water." The dilemma for busy believers is finding time
to invest in reading the Word and meeting with God in prayer. Like the
runner intent on reaching the finish line, we tend to put off those regular
drinks of water until we are totally parched.
In this year's race, I saw a man become dehydrated just a mile from the
finish. Strangely, he didn't seem to recognize that anything was wrong. He
was swaying from side to side as he walked, mumbling over and over, "I'm
fine. I'm fine." He was so disoriented that he didn't even recognize his
own sick condition.
If you let yourself become spiritually dehydrated, you may not even be able
to recognize it. Stop today to drink some cool "living water." For serious
runners, it's a must.
-- Author Unknown
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