Here's the thing about classic cross-country skiing technique. Once you hit a certain speed on a straightaway, it's no longer efficient to simply kick off from one foot to the other--you can't push off hard enough to match the speed, so your motion is wasted. So, to "shift gears" you start pulling through with both your poles in between kicks. That propels you even faster as you hit a ryhthm where both arms move forward to plant your poles in combination with alternating kicks of your ski's.
It takes awhile to learn the technique, but when you're in the "zone" and everything's working together, there's a sublime sense that the whole is more than its parts.
What's this got to do with prayer and fasting?It takes awhile to learn the technique, but when you're in the "zone" and everything's working together, there's a sublime sense that the whole is more than its parts.
Just this--when you start to hit that transitional speed on your ski's, you can simply settle into a nice rhythm right where you're at, without bothering to do more (no need to add the double poling).
You can even back off a little, so as to enjoy the kick-glide-kick without missing the need to go faster.
It's all good.
But skiing is more than covering ground for me. I get that sense that I can go a little harder, put in a little more, and...I know that sublime sense of the "zone" is on the other side.
I don't fast very often, but when I do, my sense of prayer and communication with God is heightened. There seems to be more to talk about, and a sense that I can more earnestly express myself.
I woke up around 1:30 a.m., as I usually do, a few nights ago and found myself praying for friends
of ours who are struggling.
"Oh Lord, please help my friends. Please grant them comfort. Please bring them reassurance," I prayed over and over.
Kick-glide-kick...kick-glide-kick...
But I really wanted to have an even more earnest conversation with God and do everything I could to cover them in prayer.
Start double-poling...or not?
What do you believe?
