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Hitting The Ground Running

           Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!  It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. (Proverbs 6:6-8)

The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” (Judges 6:14)

 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,  and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. (Ephesians 6:13-18)

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.” (Matthew 6:19)

“Hitting the ground running” is my third theme for 2021. To me, that seems to have to do with being prepared. To hit the ground running, I need the armor of God just as much as when I’m standing. You never know what you’re going to land in or on when you hit the ground running. I’ve never had strong ankles, so I tend to be a little cautious about what sort of shoes I wear. I was reminded of that today as I stepped on an uneven place and thought for a moment that I was going to twist my ankle and put my back out in one ungraceful lurch. Fortunately, there was neither pratfall nor injury.

Another key to hitting the ground running is to know where you’re going and what you’re doing. If you must stop and get your bearings, that’s better than blundering ahead without a clue, but the best is to have it worked out in advance. That brings us back to the idea of setting some goals, and one of those goals is to learn things that will make me better able to respond, better able to hit the ground running when I need to. I’m not sure what that will entail.

The other thing about hitting the ground running is that you need to trust. I can really relate to Gideon. I look around, “Who? Me? You’ve got to be kidding!” The best way I can tell when God is calling me to do something is my answer, “No…no…no…no…no…no…no….” I suspect that I’m not alone.

As I consider hitting the ground running, the last thing that comes to mind is the question of what sort of preparation to do. My mind tends to go to things like meal planning, foraging, and fixing things, but our spiritual growth and skill development is even more vital. Can I hit the ground running when it comes to prayer, praise, or faith?

Lots to think about.

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