Bib Number 806--linking me up to Psalm 80 verse 6

Psalm 80 verse 6 in the New American Bible Revised Edition reads:

"You have fed them the bread of tears,
made them drink tears in great measure."

A footnote says that the "them" could be replaced by "us"  Either way--it is a stern warning not to turn your back on God.  That could be interpreted as "don't live your whole life as if God didn't matter".  It could be "don't let your life slide and forget about God for a while."  Or, following up on Fr. Sam's comment from Sunday and the verses form yesterday, "don't spend some of your time worrying a lot about God and then other times acting as if he had no role in your life whatsoever."

It is interesting to me that I chose the verses from Isaiah that I wrote about yesterday and the verse from Psalms that I wrote about today, long before Fr. Sam's homily on Sunday.  I am just getting around to writing about these now even though the 10K that inspired them was nearly a month ago now.

It is another sign that I should always be vigilant.  Alway be seeking God's grace.  Always, always, always. Not just sometimes.  Not just occasionally.  Not just during some seasons of the year.  All seasons.  All times.  All days.  God is always there.  God should always be my strength.  Lent should be an extension and expansion of that expression--not a totally separate time that is the source of a lot of focus that I then look away and catch up on other things.

God calls me every day.

I hope to live up to that call every day.

Tomorrow will be the last day of blogging with numbers inspired by the 10K.  

A Bible Verse for my 43:22.3 from my 10K several weeks ago

When I ran a 43:22.3 several weeks ago, in the tradition I have now developed, I turned to the Bible to find some meaning in the numbers. Or, more accurately, I used the numbers to guide me to something interesting in the Bible--as a way to get closer to God. I could use nearly anything as inspiration for how to get closer, but I've been using my bib numbers or race times for more than 18 months now.

This one was a bit of a challenge, but I settled on Isaiah 43:22 and the next three verses. Form the New American Bible, Revised Edition, we read:

"22Yet you did not call upon me, Jacob,
for you grew weary of me, Israel.

23 You did not bring me sheep for your burnt offerings,
nor honor me with your sacrifices.
I did not exact from you the service of offerings,
nor weary you for frankincense.

24You did not buy me sweet cane,
nor did you fill me with the fat of your sacrifices;
Instead, you burdened me with your sins,
wearied me with your crimes.

25It is I, I, who wipe out,
for my own sake, your offenses;
your sins I remember no more."

This is Isaiah's prophesy--that Israel would tire of God. I may have felt drawn to finally write this down as I continued to reflect, at least in the back of my mind, on the fact that so much time was spent preparing for Easter in the Lenten season, that I have not taken the time to celebrate and to continue to celebrate the importance of the mystery of the Resurrection. Of course the crucifixion is critical to the Catholic faith. But the crucifixion would be a sad ending while the Resurrection is a joyful and glorious ending. Yes, as Fr. Sam reminded the congregation is it just the beginning.

And I should not forget or grow weary of God and simply burden him with the things I do wrong after Easter but I should remember him. For, as verse 25 in the text above reminds us, it is only through God's mercy that we are forgiven. He does not have to forgive us. It is His choice to forgive those who are truly contrite.

Of course, I strive not to need forgiveness in the first place, but I am only human. However, in my humanity, I should hunger for God's grace and presence and seek the fulfillment of time spent focusing on Him in order to receive the gifts of forgiveness.

I really do enjoy using my racing numbers as inspiration for Bible readings and then finding ways to tie it into life. It is almost always incredibly revealing.

My Half Way Time in a 10K--21:17 and the Gospel of John

I never thought that I'd have enough material from running a single 10K race to blog about for the next two weeks, but I think I do.  That should be interesting.

Each entry will most likely be a little shorter than what I wrote during the Lenten season, but I am sure it will continue to be a positive experience for me, and I hope that it will be a positive experience for those who take the time to read what I write.

The 10K was called the Sole of the City.  Cool in some ways that it would be called "sole". Obviously that is a reference to the running shoes sold by Charm City Run, my favorite running store.  The day before the race, one of the few 10K runs in Baltimore City proper, I was honored to be featured as the runner highlight by the store (see the link here).   The picture in the feature was taken last November.  If I had it to do over again, I'd put in the picture that someone from the store took at the end of the race yesterday.  It is a much better picture that you can see here.  I say that the name of the run was ironic as I have focused so much on spiritual and physical well being--the well being of my body and soul.  And this 10K was obviously both a good use of my soles and goof for my soul.

I don't usually write about finding a relationship between my times at the half way point in the race and some connection to the Bible, but I will tonight.  First, let me point out, I don't know where the exact "official" half way point was.  But when I took a data dump from my GPS watch today, I looked at the 5K time--sure enough it was 21:17 (actually it was 21:18 at 5003 meters, so by extrapolation with the next earlier reading from 21:13 at 4985 meters).  While I was making dinner tonight, I had been thinking about different Bible verses and relating them to my writing and the thought of "Feed my sheep" came to me.  It is appropriate for the Easter season.  Sure enough, where do you find that?  John 21:17.

Why do I find this interesting?  And what will I spend writing about for the next two weeks (or more)?  Well, I have recently been emailing with a friend.  She reads this blog and can comment if she wants to be named.  For right now, it suffices to say that I have known her since my days as an undergrad.  I had respect for her writing, ideas, and leadership back then.  We went years without being in touch.  We are back in touch now thanks to Facebook.  She has read some of my blog materials and seen many of my pictures of food on Facebook and encouraged me to write a book.  I think that the ideas around my writing and around my cooking and my running all come back to the end of the verse in John 21:17--"Feed my sheep."

Why?  It would be a great title for a book of reflections.  Especially if many of those reflections centered around Bible verses and food.  There can be so many different meanings to the phrase "Feed my sheep."

Am I particularly qualified to feed God's sheep?  I don't really think that I have anything on the next person when all is said and done.  I am not more holy.  I have not spent that much more time studying religion.  I am not smarter.  I don't have more common sense.  I just like to think.  I like to write.  And I like to try to make sense of life.  If my journey and quest to explain life helps to "feed" others' needs for spiritual guidance, then so be it.  I am glad that others can share.

This is one of the less organized entries I have written in a while.  It is, right now, mostly just stream of consciousness.  I think that the key will be for me to pull ideas into a coherent format to share them, to begin to shape the idea for a book, and to express all the insight I gained from one race.

Life is good.  God is great.  And there is always so much to learn.