Gratitude

I never expect to find God when I'm running, but He often joins me, keeping pace with me as I struggle through the miles trying to find my stride.  Suddenly, all the difficulties of the day, the people around me, everything just goes silent, and there is no one but me and my Father.  He created me for this.  When I run, I listen to music.  Music has always moved me, and I've learned in finding my new passion for running, music is often the motivator that keeps me going when everything inside me is crying out for me to stop.  A few months ago, while preparing for my very first 5k, I was running though the beautiful countryside near my in-laws home in northern California.  My run that morning, 4 miles.  About half way in, a song began playing that moved me so deeply, I remember that moment still with razor sharp clarity.

"You make beautiful things,
You make beautiful things out of the dust.
You make beautiful things,
You make beautiful things out of us."

"You make me new, You are making me new.

You make me new, You are making me new."

I returned from my run to find the most precious people in my life, laughing and running and playing in the yard next to my in-laws home.  A wave of gratefulness and thanksgiving washed over me at once.  Hot tears burned my eyes.  

I stood at the end of the driveway and watched, hidden from their sight, soaking in every laugh, every squeal, every smell and sight in my mother in law's garden.  Such beauty, such blessing.  God met me that morning.  

I got home from that trip, and ran my 5k, which went very well.  But after that, summer began and life was busy, so I put away my running shoes for a while, too long really.  This morning, I determined that I would run again.  I packed up my littles and headed for the gym.  Finding my treadmill, I began my run.  Suddenly, a song came on that immediately set my heart to worship.  Today, it was SMS Shine, by David Crowder.  

"Come break the quiet

Breathe your awakening

Bring me the light

Cause I am fading.

Surround me with the rush of angels' wings.

Shine Your light so I can see You

Pull me up, I need to be near You

Hold me, I need to feel loved

Can You overcome this heart that's overcome?"

I don't know why I needed to hear those words today, but clearly I did.  In an instant, everything around me faded away and again, I felt my eyes well up with gratitude to God.  I felt a strong urge to lift my arms and start singing at the top of my lungs.  I'm not an arm raiser, y'all, so I can only deduce that I was in the midst of a time of sweet worship with the Holy Spirit Himself.  I didn't raise my hands, after all, I was in the gym.  But I did lift them a little and sing in my heart.  Those four minutes went by so quickly, and I felt refreshed.  

This is one the many reasons I love to run.  I find gratitude and joy in the mundane, step by step, breath by breath, mile by mile.  God sustains me in each step, and my heart bursts with thanksgiving for all that I have, all that I enjoy, all that I see around me.  For me, running is a time to meet with God, to reset my perspective, to say thanks, and to do what He created me to do, worship.  

"Shine Your light so all can see it

Lifted up, cause the whole world needs it

Love has come, what joy to hear it

He has overcome, He has overcome!"