Thoughts from a morning run...

Running is one of my favourite times of prayer. Running has become especially important to me as I travel for two reasons: sometimes it's the only solitude time I get with God all day AND most people feed me so well while I travel that if I didn't run, my clothes wouldn't fit me anymore!

Being in BC this past week, running has been great. It's amazing to be in cities yet running a sea wall or looking at mountains. The Rooke family, in their wonderful hospitality, has been feeding me way to well so I've especially needed to run this week!

A few days ago Nathan showed me the run that he does, which ends going up a huge hill, so I tried it yesterday. Last night when I was going to bed I realized that the back of my neck killed, it's a strange and unique pain, one that I don't feel often if ever. When I did the run again this morning I figured out where the pain was coming from. As I ran up the big hill yesterday and looked up the whole time it totally strained my neck.

I remembered that on my run yesterday I spent the whole time looking up the hill for the end, I guess I thought it would come faster that way! This morning I tried looking straight ahead, at each side walk block and not only was it faster and easier but it also didn't completely strain my neck.

Moral of the story- I think when we're going through a difficult time, running up one of life's 'big hills', we need not try to look so far ahead for the clarity of when it could end- that's straining! Instead we need to look straight ahead, move step by step, day by day and TRUST in the hope that the end will come... and we're going to get there...

Picture: A little over half way up the hill...