Rising

This morning I set out to run in the dark.

I had never run so early before the sunrise, and my husband was a little nervous.  I had my little flashlight in one hand, my pepper spray in the other, my spibelt around my hips holding my iPhone.  I wore a bondiband (thanks for the review, Heather!) on my head and warming my ears.  I listened to a shuffled mix of Stephen Curtis Chapman, Chris Tomlin and Susan Ashton, among others, and I just ran.

The sky promised a splendid sunrise as there was a hint of dark red just beneath a group of wispy clouds to the east.  I waited, glancing toward the blooming colors as I passed one sleepy home after another.  I was reminded that He watching over us never sleeps, never becomes weary, and was meeting me in the peeking of the light on the horizon.

It was not easy today to bump up my miles after 7 weeks of little or no running.  But I thought, "If God can make that sky, I can run four miles."

So I did.

There's just something about my time out in the cornfields with my God.  Something that makes it so much more than just "a run".  The physical exertion is powerful, yes, and I feel a sense of accomplishment, too.  If it was just the exercise, I'd probably still do it for the pure enjoyment of the sport.

But spiritually, it's about realizing my body's smallness, and my soul's expansiveness all at once.  It's about being completely alone, and yet being one in spirit with the body of Christ, all across the world.  It's about peace, and release, and the blooming of my spirit's dawn after a long dark night.  It's about faith and doubt and mess and beauty.

That's what I feel as I run.  Maybe not always, but often enough to give me a purpose beyond getting this body in shape.

What about you?  What motivates you to get up and do it?

Does God meet you on the road?