“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” -Hebrews 12:2-4
I hated running my entire life, up until about 2 years ago. Then God called me to start running and I did. Of course, I was doing it for the physical benefits, and I didn’t know how much it would help me mentally and emotionally. As a Navy wife with a deployed husband, two small children, and my family a thousand miles away, running helped me feel free. I’d drop my kids off at a friend’s house once a week and then go run alone. The weight of the world melted off of my shoulders. There was nothing but me to take care of for a brief time.
When my husband returned from deployment, we moved to a new base in a hotter climate. I tried to develop a new routine here and keep up with my running, but I soon found that it was still just as hard to run with my kids along as it was before, and it was way too hot during the day anyway. So I felt God calling me to do another thing I had always hated – wake up early! I started waking up before my husband had to leave for work so that I could run alone in the cool of the morning. I never thought it would work for me, but I must say, it is glorious! There’s nothing like starting the day off with God, running on a boardwalk by the ocean, admiring the sunrise and watching all of his creations come to life.
I’m still a terrible runner. I don’t run that fast or that far. The whole boardwalk is less than two miles. Some days I can run the whole time and some days I can’t. Some days I can wake up and go and sometimes I can’t. Some days it’s hot, cold, windy, or rainy. Some days I’m dodging large groups of soldiers or sailors who are doing their physical training. Some days I’m dodging dog poop or crazy sea birds in the middle of a mating ritual. Some days I’m getting passed by 80-year-old men who are in better shape than me.
But every day, I start at one end of the boardwalk and I run to the other end and back. The starting point has a large, white sculpture. So on my way back, as I’m struggling to make it, I can see the sculpture, and I know that I’m getting closer with every step. I know that all I have to do is keep moving forward, and eventually I’ll get there. I know that God is with me whether I’m walking or running. And the moment I realized this, I knew why God wanted me to start running. That sculpture is Jesus, and that boardwalk is life. No matter what happens around me, or how well I perform, God is here. All I have to do is keep my eyes on him, and keep moving forward.