Growing Into Large Shoes (and running)

So apparently I can run a mile in less than 13 mins, because I did it twice this week. Even if it was something like 12:58 and 12:50...lol. Dad says our miles are weird, anyway--like they're a little longer than a real mile. "Our miles" being, the one on the treadmill and running once around the neighborhood. But I guess that's good. Maybe I'll be surprised when I run a real mile. lol. Oh and James, if you have some kind of running plan (the one I"m loosely pursuing at the moment would probably work) that works with running twice a week, that would work for me. :-D

Alright, now to the bulk of the post. :-D
I've been having an e-mail conversation with Bea about the concept of growing into your own shoes. I'll try to make this make sense even though I'm half asleep.

Everyone has two of themselves--who they are and who they want to be (or are supposed to be). You're always measuring them against each other, even if it's mostly sub-consciously. Maybe not every second of every day, but there are times when you evaluate them.

I'm going to use the example of who you're supposed to be first, because it applies directly to me at this point in my life. It'll be more like, who I could be or who I will be soon. It can mostly be summed up in these words: a normal teenager. One who drives, goes places with her friends without adults or parents, one who has a job. I don't feel old enough for any of that! But I am, and the knowledge that I am old enough gives me a little nudge to become that "normal teenager." Because I'm supposed to do any or all of those things, I'll step into the shoes of the "normal teenager," and then I'll grow into them. When the little, younger voice inside me says, "You're not old enough to drive, you're not old enough to be independent," I'll say back to it, "That doesn't matter, that's who I am now." And even though the shoes don't fit, I'll force myself to grow into them, because they're my new shoes and the old ones are gone.

The same thing applies to spiritual growth. We learned at the first LT that we've become new people, that God sees us as the new creation we've become through him. When we do something contrary to this new person, (which is bound to happen) we're not acting like the new selves we've become. We're acting like our old selves, we're trying to fit back into the shoes we've outgrown. So when the little voice of the old person says to us, "You get angry when s/he does that for the third time in one week, so that's how you need to react," we can say back, "No, that's not who I am anymore. I'm a new person, I react with patience and forgiveness." You step into the new shoes. And eventually, they'll fit. It's the same for any trait you want to develop, you simply tell yourself that you have it, act like you have it even though it feels unnatural, and pretty soon it'll become natural. I hope that makes sense, because it's an amazing concept. :-)

And I'm about to fall asleep. So I guess it's time to go to bed, because I can't type straight anymore. Sarah stayed and had ice cream with us, which was good, but now it's late. But we get to sleep in tomorrow. :-D