I was raised in a family where running was the solution to basically everything.
Are you sad? Go run.
Are you tired? Run.
Are you cold? Run.
Are you sick? Go running.
And much of it is because my parents knew that running and spending time outside was the way my sister and I would be reminded that our God is greater and bigger than everything else.
This morning was wicked cold, even Boston girl thought so. I picked myself out of bed, put on my short running shorts and t-shirt and went outside… shivering. It was foggy, dark and very quiet.
After 6.5 years in the Bay Area, I think one of the reasons why I refuse to identify myself as a Californian is because I absolutely love sunrises over the Atlantic. There’s just something about the rising sun that reminds me of the glorious hope we have in Christ.
Although it started off cold and dreary this morning, 20 minutes into the run, the sun indeed came out. No matter where I was along the trail, the sun was there. Everything was dark at first, but I ran because I knew it would get brighter. And that it’d be good, not painless. And it was good, but not painless.
Oftentimes in life, I find myself stepping out into what seems to be dark, cold, dreary, and undesirable. But I do it because I know God will be there. The mere presence of Christ in me is enough, but it's hard to believe. Sometimes, I think Jesus is hidden, yet the truth is that evidence of His grace is everywhere. In the end, Jesus in His glory will shine and in His presence I will rejoice.
And although I like to look upon California with contempt, I’ve learned to appreciate Pacific sunsets too. Ever notice how sunsets are so much prettier when it’s cloudy and the sky isn’t completely clear? I purposely try to go watch sunsets on "ugly" sky days. The clouds that streak across the sky often create a much more vivid array of colors.
It’s a lot like the times we look back at the rough bumps and see the traces of His grace so much more.
Y’know, I think life is worth living and enjoying after all. Maybe I won't ever have reasons or answers to my questions, but I have Jesus, the man of sorrows. The Holy Spirit who lives in me comforts me and my Heavenly Father knows me. The Holy God...knows me and loves me.
Moral of the story: go run with the sunrise and sunset. It’ll do you good.
Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you.
Joshua 1:5
