For those on the road...

When I see another runner, I feel an immediate connection.

Do you feel it?

I see him and I wonder what his story is.  Are there demons he is running from, or troubles he is trying to release with each breath?

I wonder how her body is feeling.  Is she in the first mile?  The tenth mile?  Does she want to stop with each fall of her foot, or is she in that I-can-run-forever place?

Does he have someone waiting at home?  Is he happy in his job?

What is her story?

As I pass, I pray.  I pray for this nameless-to-me runner, this person whose name is written on God's hand, whose every hair is known by the maker of the stars.  I pray for her struggles, for his pain.  I pray that she meets God as she runs, that everything else falls away and she runs with open heart and open spirit.

What do you feel when you see another runner?  Do you pray?  Maybe now is a good time to start.

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