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.

"Practice" or "A Practice"

When I was reading Chi Running while Sherry and I were on vacation recently, there was a point in the book at which the author made a distinction between needing to practice something and making something a practice.  I looked for definitions online, and the first use is one we are all familiar with--doing something over and over to improve. The second use is also familiar but a little more subtle.  It is mostly a usual and customary way of doing something.  Many times, a person will need to practice something before it becomes a practice.  But just because a person practices, and maybe even becomes proficient at doing something does not necessarily mean that the person will make whatever it is a practice.  Practicing just requires repeating something.  Making something a practice, in my mind, requires a consequential change in the way that I lead my life.  It requires more of a definitiveness. It requires, to use the expression that I've used throughout my Lenten reflections, being "all in," at least as far as a particular activity or way of doing things is concerned.

As I am now on only the second morning of waking up without having to feed and water the dog and let her out, I notice how much I had made care for all three pets a practice in my morning routine.  There are a variety of other things that I make a practice of in my family life and my career.  One of the goals moving forward, is to realize that there are probably too many things that I was trying to make a practice of, and to focus on a subset and move forward better with those.  To truly be "all in" with the things I am making a practice of while other things get left behind.  Making a practice of better prioritization is key.

But the most important thing that I've made a practice of during this Lenten season that I did not before was daily reflection on my spiritual well being.  Sometimes tied directly to my physical (through all the ties between running and spirituality) and sometimes just standing on is own.  Regardless, I don't know that I'll have the time to write every day after the Lenten season is over, but I do want to try to continue to make spiritual reflection a practice in my daily life.  A usual part of my daily life.  It is a luxury to be able to do so--as there are many other things on my to do list that sometimes suffer--but it is a healthy luxury that helps me to move forward, to continue to grow, and to continue to deepen my understanding of my own spiritual needs, the spiritual needs of those around me, and the the relationship between my spiritual needs and other parts of my life