Strong yet broken

I've been thinking about this for awhile now. Why do we run, train, and crossfit? To get strong. We are focusing on our bodies, making progress, and building muscles. But does this really make us strong? Just because we are able to lift, endure, and achieve is this where it really counts? What happens when we are injured and unable to train? Our muscles are still there. Our progress is still there. We are just sidelined. And we get depressed and even cry. We don't cry about the physical pain as much as the mental pain. So it's not really about the end result, it is more about the journey. The doctor says no weight bearing activity and it is like having the rug yanked out from under you. You're stuck. You can't go. You hurt from the pain, but even more so you hurt from the inside knowing you cannot keep on trekking right now. You can't get up at 4AM, put on your running shoes, and just go. Your freedom has been taken away. We have found that when we are running (crossfitting, training, dancing) it is those moments in our days that we are free. We begin to soar, we forget about our troubles and the irritants of life. We don't care about our bills or our jobs. Any arguments with our families simply fade to black. We are breathing, step after step, block after block, mile after mile until the air feels like bright beautiful crystals expanding into our lungs and overtaking our hearts. It hurts but it is a beautiful pain that leaves us clean and new again. It clears out all of the darkness that sometimes creeps in our lives and we are left energized and happy. We can shut off our racing thoughts and just be, just focus, just perform, just do it. So back to strength. If we are forced to sit on the sidelines and helplessly watch everyone else it is here that we must be able to dig deeper and find strength. Find mental toughness. Help our bodies recover by negotiations, effort, and never relenting. Constantly pushing forward no matter what little progress or encouragement we may or may not see. This is the tough place. This is the challenging place. This is the place where we find out what type of athletes we truly are. Strong, yet broken. And we will run again God willing. They say that the heart is just too far gone to save, but grace tells us another story. Where glory sends hopelessness away. Oh grace tells us another story. God willing we WILL rise up and be stronger than ever. ~ Paris girl