You Can Do Hard Things: Research, Practice, Repeat

My sisters and I send motivational messages to our kids, and we often share them with each other, too. Two of my sisters are cross-country coaches, so I get plenty of running advice and encouragement from them.

This week my sister Theresa shared something on Facebook that really caught my attention.

“The highlight of my day was when

one of my athletes gave me her candy wrapper.

She opened it, saw the quote and said, ‘Theresa says that!’

Goes along with another one of my favorites Philippians 4:13.”

Of course, I had to share that one with my volleyball player. And she needed it this week. It's been a week! Games, performance, frustration, sickness going around . . .

I made me think about something I read recently. It is so easy to look at someone else’s life and want the fruit they have. We see their abilities, their looks, their finances, their confidence or whatever it is that stands out to us, but we don't see everything that happened before we saw the fruit. We don't see the work, the failures, the disappointments or the years of practice.

Paul: Training Takes Repetition

Paul used an athlete as an example when he wrote to the Corinthians. He talked about runners running a race and athletes training with discipline. He wasn't talking about someone showing up on race day and hoping things went well. There was training, discipline and repetition behind it.

Moses: Learning to Do What You Thought You Couldn't

When God called Moses to go to Pharaoh, Moses told God he wasn't a good speaker and didn't think he could do what God was asking him to do. God allowed Aaron to go with him and help speak for him. But as you keep reading, Moses is the one standing before Pharaoh.

I have wondered about that. Did Moses become more comfortable as he went? Did he just gain confidence? Did having Aaron beside him give him the courage to keep going? We aren't told what changed, but something did.

I see my daughter doing something similar with volleyball. When she isn't satisfied with how she played, she doesn't just hope the next game will be better. She looks up drills, watches games, checks her form and then we go into the backyard and practice. Sometimes it's a lot of repetition for something that looks like a very small part of the game. But that's how you get better.

Putting It Together: Research, Practice, Repeat

That was the connection I made between a candy wrapper, my sister, my daughter and my own faith.

The fruit we see has a story behind it. In volleyball, my daughter researches, practices and repeats. In running, I know that getting stronger doesn't happen from one good workout. It comes from putting in the miles and doing the work over and over again.

So what does that look like in my faith?

Research -> Read the Bible. Pay attention to what God is showing me.

Practice -> Spend time with God and put what I'm learning into practice.

Repeat -> Keep doing it, even when I don't feel like I'm getting anywhere.

You can do hard things!

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About Make Monday Matter

Make Monday Matter is my weekly Christian devotional where I share reflections on faith, running, and the small ways God shows up in everyday life.