This morning's goal was a five mile run in preparation for a planned five miler in July. But my stomach was queasy and my body tired.
"Should I do five today or settle for my usual three?" I thought as I lumbered off.
A similar mindset of "either-or" thinking had nearly crippled Tuesday's thinking process. I had tied my running shoes, gulped some water, but then opened the front door to a thunder storm. I will run in rain or snow, but not a lightening storm. I sat down in my easy chair and tried to settle into a book on torts, preparing for next term's classes. But the previous day had not met my standards for success. Now frustrated energy blocked concentration. Spaghettied thoughts refused to untangle.
"How I needed today's run," I thought.
And then I remembered my jump rope. The decision to be made was not "to run or not to run". Instead the decision to be made was how to reign in wasted energy so effectiveness could return. So I jumped rope inside, curtailed the fidgets, then quietly sat down to concentrated study.
The lesson applied to this morning's run as well. The question needn't be limited to a choice between three miles and five. A better question was how to make today's run an effective means toward that upcoming five mile race goal--another way, a third choice.
The Third Way Cafe' in Harrisonburg is so named for three reasons:
- We hope it sounds inviting to anyone exploring things that are different
- Many times we think there are only two choices or options when actually there is a third or alternate way between two choices
- It reflects the fact that Mennonites and Anabaptists are somewhere between Catholic and Protestant on many theology issues--a third way.
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