Two Are Better Than One

I have always chosen not to run. I was the girl in P.E. who walked the track with the asthma girls who had the doctor’s excuse not to run, and that was long before I actually had asthma. Ha! I’m not quite sure what possessed me, but I recently decided that I needed to lay aside my pride, stop worrying that I move like Captain Jack Sparrow, and simply give running a try. I found a spot near the end of my walking route where I would muster up all of my courage and run for a very short distance, hoping that no one would recognize me.

My daughter decided to join me on my early morning walk recently, and I ended up gaining a walking/running partner. Neither of us are morning people, and both of us had our own routines. However, she needed more consistency, and I needed someone along in case I croaked.

All in all, we felt pretty good about our decision to get our workout in together each day before it got too hot outside. Four days after we made the pact, however, our enthusiasm faded and we found ourselves dragging each other out the door and down the road. Ten minutes into the walk that day, she told me, “I’m glad we started doing this together. I didn’t want to get up today.” My reply? “Me either! I made myself crawl out of bed and get ready today because I knew you were getting up to go.”

The air was so thick that morning. Breathing was difficult enough, let alone trying to run. However, one of us would take the first step to run, and the other would have to run along too. We’d run until we could no longer breathe. We’d complain a while, walk while we caught our breath, laugh a bit… and then someone would take that first step to run again. We took turns being the slave driver and being the one who loathed her. Together we persevered.

If I had been going alone that morning, I probably wouldn’t have run as often or hard as I ran. I might not have gone the distance that I did. I may have even given into my temptation to stay in bed an extra hour instead of pushing myself out the door, but someone was expecting me to go.

Some days have been harder than others, and I’m not going to lie. We were both excited the morning we woke up to rain and had to wait until the evening to run.

Isn’t it so much easier to fizzle out and give up when there’s no one watching? Don’t we perform better when we have someone around to motivate us to succeed? Whatever you are trying to do, whether it is making a healthy change, breaking an unhealthy habit or striving to reach a goal that seems way outside of your grasp, find someone to travel the road with you and to hold you accountable.

You might be fighting hard and even praying for God’s strength or deliverance, but sometimes, our spirit is willing while our flesh is weak. Sometimes, we need someone who cares about us and understands what we’re going through to help us stay disciplined and obedient. Ask God to send someone to travel with you on your journey. That person will be of great encouragement when you feel like throwing in the towel, and you will be able to provide motivation for that person when they feel like giving up as well.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 in the NLT says,

Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.”

Who is helping you succeed today, and who are you helping in return?