Running on the Path

Hi. I know it’s been a little while since I’ve updated. Honestly I’ve been unmotivated to write. So, instead of writing for the sake of writing, I decided to wait until I had something to say. And I’ll get to that.

I cannot believe I’m just about finished with the 5^th week of training. I guess I need to catch you up on my schedule.

Week 3 and week 4 looked like this:

·         Monday – 3.5 miles

·         Tuesday – 2 miles

·         Wednesday – 3.5 miles

·         Thursday – Rest

·         Friday – 5 miles

And here’s what this week (5) is:

·         Monday – 4 miles

·         Tuesday – 2 miles

·         Wednesday – 4 miles

·         Thursday – Rest

·         Friday – 6 miles

I only have 1 more run this week and it’s 6 miles. I’ve literally only done that one other time in my life. So, I’m feeling pretty intimated by it. But I KNOW I can do it. That’s insane to think that 6 miles isn’t even half the race. Right now, 6 miles feels like it might as well be a million. But it isn’t. I have to keep reminding myself that I have been training my body and training my mind to complete it. It can, and will happen, because I’m capable and determined.

Like I’ve said in past posts, I’m not completely in love with running. I’m pretty miserable the whole time. But I continue because I love what it’s done for me.

It’s changed me physically. Running really has transformed my body because it has helped me burn a ton of fat and build a crap ton of muscles in my legs. Let me tell you, under this layer of blub I’m jacked! These thunder thighs really bring the heat. I’m proud of them.

And while I started running for the physical changes I hoped it would bring, I have grown to love running because of how it has changed me spiritually. I want to share with you something that happened to me this week while I was running on the path. It had a profound impact on me and I think I need to share it. Not to boast – but to give glory to Jesus for being faithful and speaking to me in ways that are clear and understandable while living in a world that’s full of uncertainty and confusion.

So I was running along on my 4 mile trek and I ran past a slightly-past-middle-aged man. We exchanged that awkward acknowledgement and went on our ways in different directions. I was listening to a sermon and the preacher was talking about obeying Jesus and why it’s so important. He said we love God if we follow His commands. (John 14:15).  And dang I was feeling convicted. If loving God means doing what He says, I must not love Him very much – well at least not very often. (And side note – I believe that God wants us to obey Him not because He is this super vindictive and power-hungry macho man – but because His commands bring life).

So I was listening to that and admitting to God, and myself, that I don’t always choose to obey the Him. And it was a thing. So I get to the end of the path and turn around, and what do you know but not soon after, I pass by that chubby old-ish man again. I wave and he says something about me being faster than him because he has something wrong with his heart. I blurted out some generic well-wishes through my gasps for air and kept running past. But then, like a ton of bricks, I felt the Lord tell me that I needed to go talk to him. And pray for him. WHAT THE HECK GOD!?! I’m in the middle of my run. I don’t want to. I’m too busy. I’ve got way too much going on today. I don’t know what I would say. It’s awkward and uncomfortable. He’s gonna think I’m stupid. What if he tells me to leave him alone?

Has anyone ever had these thoughts? These conversations with God? Maybe it’s just me…

I’m telling myself these things as I’m running away from him. And then that Scripture flashed in my mind as clear as day – “If you love me, obey my commandments.” At this point I was kinda far from him and I had almost convinced myself not to do it – but I had a decision to make. Was I going to keep running away, or was I going to choose to turn around and go back to the man? I knew I had to turn around.  It was a totally uncomfortable decision, but I had to. So I turned around and ran towards the man. We had an awesome conversation that ended in prayer under a shady tree (the details of our interaction are not key points to this narrative) but I did what I did, gave him a sweaty hug after asking for permission, and turned around and ran away to finish my last 1.5 miles.

While I was running away, I began crying! Hard!! And God began to speak to me. What a metaphor He had given me. I was literally running away from what I knew God was asking of me. Literally running in the opposite direction of the path He had called me to. And, even though it was uncomfortable and honestly annoying, I had to decide to turn around and run towards that man. To run towards God. It was such a beautiful picture of walking with Jesus. So many times we decide to run away from God because we want control, or it’s scary, or we don’t trust that He has our best interest in mind. And I totally get that. But those things should not deter us from chasing after God. Because what He is offering is so much greater than anything of this world.

But we have to choose what we run towards. We have to be purposeful in the direction we go. Following Christ sometimes means stopping dead in our tracks, turning around completely, and running hard in the opposite direction. It’s what He asked me to physically do on the path by my apartment, but it’s also something He is asking me to do in my spiritual life.  Am I going to choose to run towards Him or away from Him?

So yeah. Cool huh? I hope that makes sense. I hope I’m clearly articulating this message. Running has become a tangible way of connecting myself to what God is doing around me. It’s a metaphor of running away from all of my fear and insecurity and doubt and shame and worry and running towards all of God’s peace and hope and joy and strength and love.

And that’s what I want for you. Be encouraged. Be brave. And run towards all that He has for you.