Running

Some people think I'm crazy because I like to run (ehem, my husband). But, really it has been therapeutic in so much of my life. I started running in middle school. I was a little bit of a psycho-worker-outer at that point, but that's for another time. I was involved in track a few years, but mostly enjoyed running on my own.

I don't know about you, but my mind is always thinking metaphors. Everywhere I go, my mind wanders to metaphors . . . even in the grocery store or driving or cooking . . . I'm always pulling life lessons or spiritual imagery or simply weird ideas out of random scenes/circumstances. That being said, I often think of running as a spiritual image (going along with 1 Corinthians 9).

Today I went to a park close by. I could feel spring in the air, even though it was only about 37 degrees. It's green, the birds are chirping, it's crisp. The path I ran goes around 3 softball fields, one of which Brian plays on with our church softball league in the summer. I was foreshadowing those warm nights of watching softball games.

Anyways, as I started on my run, (here comes the metaphor thinking) I couldn't help but notice that my gaze was fixed low: on the step immediately ahead. I notice that I have a tendency to do that. It's like I'm so focused on the "here and now", that I don't look up to soak in the big picture. And, it's so refreshing to lift your gaze. There was such radiance and peace on an early Saturday morning. So, I thought a lot about that for a while (more than I could write) . . . being reminded that God has the big picture of our lives and we like to focus on the tiny steps right before us. Then, as the run has it's tough points (when the wind is whipping in my face or my legs are feeling the burn), it's such a great picture for me of perseverance . . . every time I run. I think it's good for me to be reminded that I have to push through the times in life when I feel like I "can't breath" or I "can't take another step" or I "just want to stop". And, it's funny how I often feel like I have more energy once I push through those hard times.

And, this might be weird, but every time I finish my run, I feel like my vision gets sharper -- like colors are piercing in sharpness . . . I've felt that way since I was young. I think your blood is pumping hard, you're breathing hard, . . . and all my senses are accentuated. It's great.