Thinking about walking before a run (Is 30: 18-21)

So, since we got our new dog, China, from the SPCA, I've taken her on six walks.  We are going to try to make sure that she gets walks of varying lengths at least three times per day.  The walks are fun and brisk and remind me of the joy of walking and the joy, particularly, of walking with a strong and relatively young dog.  Before I go for my run this morning (jogging a 5K race with my 12 year old and running a 10K at my own pace on a steamy Sunday morning), I've been thinking about walking.  Why?  Well, I do a lot of running.  I use my running to get me thinking about the Bible and about my beliefs and actions (today I have two bib numbers as I am running two races!).  But, at the end of the day, there are very few Bible stories that I can think of with any focus on running--with the possible exception of Peter running to Jesus's empty tomb on Easter morning.  However, there are plenty of references to walking in the way of the Lord.  A quick search led me to one: Isaiah 30:18-21 (as usual from the New American Bible Revised Edition):

Truly, the LORD is waiting to be gracious to you,
truly, he shall rise to show you mercy;
For the LORD is a God of justice:
happy are all who wait for him!

Yes, people of Zion, dwelling in Jerusalem,
you shall no longer weep;
He will be most gracious to you when you cry out;
as soon as he hears he will answer you.

The Lord will give you bread in adversity
and water in affliction.
No longer will your Teacher hide himself,
but with your own eyes you shall see your Teacher,

And your ears shall hear a word behind you:
“This is the way; walk in it,”
when you would turn to the right or the left.

Of course, this was about the future of Zion.  Verse 18 reflects patience.  We haven't had to have too much patience with our new dog (since we figured out what she likes to eat).  But all new family members require some patience.  And all relationships (with dogs or people) require patience.

We wept when our old dog passed.  I won't necessarily go so far as to say that God led us to this dog, but we were surprised that no one else had taken her.  A young couple even looked at her while we were there and chose not to take her home.  We feel that God has certainly answered our call for knowing when the time was right and then the animal was right.  

God always provides for my family.  

And, while we are usually the one directing the dog when we are walking rather than the dog directing us, there is definitely a sense of rightness about the whole thing.  A sense that this is where the Lord wants us to be.  A sense that this is part of our family's mission. And a sense of waiting to see what this new relationship with a dog brings to us.  

And regardless, the mere act of walking and thinking about my relationship with God along the way, is a reminder that I should always seek to walk in the way of the Lord.  I hope to be able to say, "This is the way" and I am walking in it every day.  I don't always succeed but walking a lot more over the past three days has reminded me of how important it is to try.  Parenthetically, maybe I am a bit more of a kinetic learner than I ever thought.  

Psalm 147:10 (and 11)

This is not a race time or a bib number.  This verse came from a search I did this morning.  Between my bike and elliptical workout two days ago and my swim with the dolphins (with bad form and fins) yesterday, my calves have been very tense since we got back on board and headed for home yesterday.  So, this morning before I ran, I first searched calf in the King James version of the Bible I have on my iPhone.  Most of what came up was things about a molten calf or a fatted calf.  Those are interesting to ponder but didn’t speak to me and were, of course, about a different kind of calf.

So, I searched for legs.  What came up was Psalm 147:10 and into 11:

“He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: he taketh  not pleasure in the legs of a man.  The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.”

Why does this speak to me?  No matter how much I train, God does not care whether I qualify for Boston.  Unless by qualifying for Boston I use all the gifts I have been given and learn and share important lessons along the way.

God does not care about the strength of my body but about the strength of my will and my spirit as I try to follow the path that has been set for me.

God does not care about how fast I can run but about how fast I can learn the lessons of being a good follower and use them to make this world as much like God’s kingdom as possible.

God does not care how far I can run, but how far I go to serve others.

So, rather than feeling sorry or hurt, I simply push ahead.  Taking care of myself.  Caring for others.  And following God as best I can.  To “hope in God’s mercy” as I lead my life and try to correct any missteps along the way.

Did I Manage to Run for Joy?

Today I had my best marathon every--just under 1:36 for the first half and just under 1:38:30 for the second half.  My first and fourth fastest half marathon distances ever.  For a total of around 3:14:25 (still awaiting official results).

But the main question is did I run for joy?  I think so.  I ran the first half cruising along in my own little world.  I got a little worried for part of the second half but reached a point where, knowing that this was my last one for a while no matter what happened, I decided to just enjoy it.

So, I ran for joy.  The joy of finishing.  The joy of being out there.  The joy of passing, and encouraging others when they passed me.  The joy of using my gift from God on a beautiful Sunday morning in a part of the state that exemplifies the beauty of God's gifts.  I ran for joy.  Now a lot more running for joy is to come as I will just be running for joy and not for a goal for a while.