He Is So Proud of You

Hebrews 6:10

For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

Years ago, I was training to run my first half marathon. I took to google and found a run plan that allowed for 4 days of running with 3 days off to do other exercises. 

A common thing in these plans is to schedule the longer, more time-consuming runs for the weekend. The weekend runs gradually lengthen to reach, and in the case of the plan I was following, slightly surpass,  race-day distance. 

My husband and I were training together but we often had to take turns running so that one of us would be home with the kids. So much of my running was done alone. All the same, we were in it together and we were very encouraging of each other. He is my greatest motivator and always acted impressed by my time or my distance.

One Saturday morning, as we began closing in on race day, my plan called for me to run 14 miles. Honestly, I wasn’t sure I had it in me. But I settled into listening a good podcast on my mp3 player and I ran.

I had joy, I didn't feel heavy or dragged down that morning, and I saw that I had a good pace. I found myself reaching the ten mile mark with a consistent pace near 8 minute miles. This was a fast pace for me then and would be a dream now. I felt good but I wanted to slow down. I didn't care about running the distance fast that morning. I just wanted to complete it because, to me, that was accomplishment enough. But, then the thought came, my husband will be so proud of me if I keep running the whole distance at this pace. And I believed it. I could see it! My husband smiling at me and saying how impressed he was. It gave me the motivation to keep going at a similar pace so that I completed the distance in under 2 hours.

Others can really motivate us to push and be the best we can be. Conversely, it can really suck the motivation out of our lives when we feel unnoticed and unappreciated. But, truly, we are never unnoticed and unappreciated because our Father sees us and notices us. Every detail. The bible says he counts the hairs on our head (Luke 12:7).  So as you go to work and do your best and serve your family with love - can you see it? Can you imagine him telling you “well done” (Matthew 25:21)? Take heart to do your best - he is proud of you.