Generalization...

One very important, but also frequently missed step, of communication therapy is generalization. Generalization, or carry-over, is the step towards the end of a course of treatment where you target the skills that you are working on OUTSIDE of the therapy room. For example, if I'm working on /r/ sounds with a kid, and they are close to mastery in the speech room, I will go observe them in the classroom, follow them to recess, and eat lunch with them to see if they are maintaining their skills in other locations of the school. It is still amazing to me that when I forget this step, or don't target it as heavily as I should, the student will say the sound perfectly in my room, but I can hear them saying it incorrectly as soon as they leave to walk down the hallway. Generalization is a very important step in the therapy process. It does the student no good to have mastery at 90% in conversational speech level with /r/ in the therapy room, but plummet to 20% accuracy in single words in the classroom setting. 

So, it's beyond me why I wouldn't have thought of generalization of my running patterns into other levels. I had this realization this morning as I crashed and burned during a twenty minute run. I've done the twenty minute run four times already, very successfully I might add. It wasn't easy but I was successful at it. Today? Not so much. I had to pause my workout twice. I still finished...still ran every second of those twenty minutes. I just didn't feel as strong as I usually do, and wasn't able to run the solid time. So disappointing. 

So, what was different? Why did I struggle? Sometimes you just have an off day. Sometimes you just have a bad run. My analysis? I haven't worked on generalization! Same time. Same pattern. Same outfit. Same music. Same everything. Until this morning. 

We're on spring break. I wanted to sleep in. I didn't want to get up at 6:00 a.m. and run like I usually do. So we laid in bed together and laughed and played and checked phones. I texted my friend and told her the last thing I wanted to do was run. So super positive start. And then I got out of bed around 9:00 to get ready for my run. My hair wouldn't stay in the pony tail just right and I hate hair touching my face when I run. I picked different pants and noticed they were sliding up my leg while I was running. I couldn't find my usual socks but the red socks with stars on them would do fine. How about I try a different album to listen to? Oh, and I might as well increase my speed. It was too much too fast I think. I didn't generalize my running skills to other scenarios. My groove was off. My mind was anywhere but on my running and I ended up having to stop. Twice. So disappointing. But important information for me to think about, especially since in two weeks I won't even be running on my treadmill but through the streets of Renton. 

But is all of that important to my run? It might be. It is in my head. The outfit. The songs. The treadmill. The pace. They are all familiar. I have learned that I am a runner through all of those things, with all of those rituals. But am I still a runner without them? Yes! I am! I am still a runner! And even with taking two breaks in the twenty minutes I am still a runner. I'm a more comfortable runner when I have the things that I need, or think that I need, but even without I am still a strong, beautiful, powerful running machine. 

The same is true for our faith life. There are rituals and frills and things that we do every Sunday or in every interaction with our Father that draw us closer to Him. Fancy dresses. Pretty hats. Same pew every Sunday. Certain songs. Communion. Only with certain pastors.  Bible verses we look to. But, what if things are different? What if the organist is absent that Sunday and we have a different organist. Or what if you're late and miss the opening hymn? What if you are helping your five-year-old get out of the car and her boot tears a whole in your nylons? What if a friend invites you to their church? Does it all fall apart? Do you lose your groove? Should you throw in the towel and just go home? Forget about your faith and abandon everything you hold dear in your heart?

No! Just as I kept running even though I had to stop, you can't let earthly rituals throw your faith off track. The frills? The songs? The pastor? Those are of man, not the core of your worship. Father God is the core. Jesus is the core. Holy Spirit is the core. All the rest is just extra bells and whistles to help you focus on the most important part. 

Kinda like my runs. The outfit and the songs and the treadmill are all extras. The core? Running! Getting healthy! Putting one foot in front of the other! But, you also need to remember to generalize. Be prepared to run (or have faith!) in situations that you are not comfortable in. 

God is growing me in my running. And He is growing me in my faith! I won't be thrown off track because things are different, or feel weird, or don't make sense. I will carry on, run through the different, and generalize my skills to other areas. I will power on, and continue training, for the 5Ks I will encounter, and for the good news of my Jesus that I'm to spread to others and the spiritual warfare He is preparing me for. I'll get my groove back, and keep it for good!  And then have the opportunity to share with others and teach them what I've earned! Amen!