Running into the wind

On a late winter day in February, I went for my morning run. It was a bit dreary; clouds everywhere and the wind was blowing.  I grew up in Utah and there we had an east wind that would blow so strongly. But it always came from the same direction...the east.  I've heard runners tell tales about having the wind at your back to sort of push you along and make your effort easier.  In the South it seems that when the wind blows, it comes from all directions.  So I may be running into the wind and then I turn a corner and I'm still running into the wind.  I may change directions again and, still, into the wind! Thanks, South!  Well, on this blustery day, I wanted to give up.  The wind was blowing any and every way it wanted and I was cold! However, I'm consistent in the fact that when I set out to complete a run, I give it my best.  Even if it's 45 minutes in the cold wind, I will finish!
I don't know exactly when, but maybe 35 minutes into the workout the wind finally took a break and the sun came out.  I felt my attitude change and I suddenly felt like I could run forever! I'm sure the actual air temperature didn't change much but my attitude and perspective surely did.  I realized: when we are experiencing trials, problems and challenges in our life, we tend to feel like the cold wind is blowing and we want to quit. But when the "sun shines" and we are given a break from the extra burdens for awhile, we feel as if we could go on forever.

Many years ago I was boarding an airplane on a rainy, dreary day.  As the plane took off and went higher in altitude we broke through the clouds and darkness and it was a glorious, bright sunny day.  I learned then that it is always a beautiful day somewhere, so I may as well enjoy it, where ever I am.
Problems come, trials exist, stuff happens! If we view these experience through the lens of a sunny day we can endure much, much longer.

I learned this on accident, because I ran in cold wind on purpose.