Blog

Press on Toward the Goal
Tuesday, May 22, 2018 by Dee Lundgren MA LPC

If she focused on what was behind her--I might win.

It was the Thanksgiving Turkey Lurkey 5K race. Over a decade ago in small town Indiana, with a small group of runners, I had a shot at first place. In my age/sex category I had only one competitor. With those odds I had a 50 percent chance of a medal. Something that had eluded me my whole life.  

Only one lone female stood between me and a trophy. The problem was that she had the body shape of a runner. While I was both solid in build and low to the ground.

 

Not to mention I really didn’t like running. And I never came close to experiencing any runner’s high—that feeling of euphoria when endorphins flood the brain. The only good feeling I had from running was when it was over.

 

The gun sounded. The runners were off. I plodded along with the slower pack while the more elite runners sprinted past. Within a couple of minutes I felt tired. It was going to be a long 3.1 miles.

 

Halfway through the race I spotted my competitor up ahead. I picked up my pace closing the gap. I made sure she could hear me as I was fast approaching.  

And then my threat to the medal turned her head to see who was behind her. As she looked over her shoulder, she began to slow. This allowed me to sprint past her.

 

When I rounded the corner and was out of sight, I slowed.  I scaled back to a steady pace that I could sustain to the end.

 

 

I learned a key lesson that day. A principle that also applies to life.

 

Focus on what is ahead and not on what is behind.

 

As women we are tempted to focus on the past. I know I am. And we cannot move forward if we are wallowing in negative memories. There isn’t one of us that has a stainless record. We’ve all come short of ideal. Sinning, making mistakes, and choosing poorly.

My Achilles heal is rethinking how I parented. I wish I would have cherished more of the moments and been less stressed about the insignificant.

 

And those of us who have suffered from significant loss know that it is easy to dwell on our yesterdays.  Rethinking decisions that can’t be undone. Living in regret. Immersed in guilt.

We are to grieve while doing our best to take small steps to move forward. It’s not helpful to stay stuck looking at our lives from a rearview mirror.

 

We are to gaze at what is ahead. Believing that good things are yet to come. Life can be good again.

 

Even after devastating heartbreak.

 

And yes, I did medal that crisp November day.

 

Forgetting what is behind and straining forward toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus (Phil 3:13).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Share This Blog:


Previous Posts

Healing through Rest
Dee Lundgren MA LPC
3/5/2021

Real hope in perilous times
Dee Lundgren M.A., L.P.C.
3/22/2020

The Craziness of Grief
Dee Lundgren MA LPC
9/14/2019

How I Almost Missed Out
Dee Lundgren MA LPC
8/23/2019

Weathering the Storms of Life
Dee Lundgren MA LPC
8/15/2019

Is There Purpose in Pain? (And Why it Matters)
Dee Lundgren MA LPC
4/27/2019

Good Grief
Dee Lundgren MA LPC
4/11/2019

The Truth About Grief (And How God Uses It for Our Good)
Dee Lundgren MA LPC
4/4/2019

Is It Ok for a Christian to be Depressed?
Dee Lundgren MA LPC
3/27/2019

The Truth about the Good Old Days
Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
3/22/2019

Do You Struggle with What God Allows?
Dee Lundgren MA LPC
3/13/2019

Keep Walking
Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
2/26/2019

Embrace Your Season
Dee Lundgren MA LPC
2/23/2019

How to Have Peace in a Chaotic World
Dee Lundgren MA LPC
2/12/2019

There's Always Hope
Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
2/5/2019

Prayer the Solution to a Common Condition
Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
1/29/2019

The Connection Between Health and Loss--My Personal Story
Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
1/22/2019

How Not to Be Cranky
Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
1/16/2019

Does God Promise Healing?
Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
1/8/2019

An Answer to a Desperate Prayer
Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
1/1/2019

Santa on Social Media?
Dee Lundgren, M.A., LPC
12/26/2018

5 Myths of Christmas
Dee Lundgren, M.A., LPC and Patricia Durgin
12/17/2018

7 Tips on Handling Family Drama (Proven Strategies)
Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
12/12/2018

God's Promise to the Weary
Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
12/4/2018

Hope for the Frazzled Part Two
Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
11/27/2018

Hope for the Frazzled
Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
11/20/2018

8 Pitfalls to Avoid being Stuck
Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
11/14/2018

Problems as Gifts
Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
11/5/2018

Breaking Free from Past Losses
Dee Lundgren, M.A., LPC and Patricia Durgin
10/30/2018

God's Bootcamp
Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
10/23/2018

Time Out
Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
10/16/2018

Freedom through Forgiveness
Dee Lundgren MA LPC
10/9/2018

What Not to Do When Dreams Turn to Nightmares
Dee Lundgren MA LPC
10/2/2018

God's Detours
Dee Lundgren MA LPC
9/25/2018

My Personal Grief Journey--Part 2
Abbigail Kalaf MS LPC BCPCC
9/11/2018

My Personal Grief Journey--Part 1
Abbigail Kalaf MS LPC BCPCC
9/4/2018

Where is God in the Storm?
Dee Lundgren MA LPC
8/28/2018

Getting to the Other Side of Grief
Dee Lundgren MA LPC
8/21/2018

Billy Graham's Insights on Grieving
Dee Lundgren MA LPC
8/14/2018

When Doing Right Turns Out Wrong
Dee Lundgren MA LPC
8/7/2018

The Connection between Clutter and Grief
Dee Lundgren MA LPC
7/31/2018

A Simple Quiz on Grief
Dee Lundgren MA LPC
7/24/2018

The #1 Gift to Give to a Grieving Friend
Dee Lundgren MA LPC
6/26/2018

10 Things Not to Say to a Grieving Person
Dee Lundgren MA LPC
6/19/2018

Do Christians Grieve Differently?
Dee Lundgren MA LPC
6/5/2018

Press on Toward the Goal
Dee Lundgren MA LPC
5/22/2018

From Brokenness to Wholeness Podcast
Dee Lundgren MA LPC
5/8/2018

The Blessing of Walking by Faith
Dee Lundgren MA LPC
5/1/2018

Grief Ten Years Later
Dee Lundgren MA LPC
1/20/2018

Welcome, My First Blog
Dee Lundgren MA LPC
1/19/2018