Running to God

16 miles today.

I cannot even believe it.  On Friday morning, I tried to go for a run, and I could not make it around the block without pain, but after my PT appointment on Friday night, I was able to run 16 miles this morning. She told me I was fine to run today and give it a try (but told me not to push it and run 20 which was on my schedule). I think Julie (the amazing PT whom I got to see) must be magic.

It was an absolutely beautiful day too which seems to put a smile on everyone’s face here in Seattle.  I ran across the 520 bridge with Elizabeth and another friend Tina, and then we met up with some other women at our usual time to run our regular Sunday route.

Over the past few days when I was feeling pretty discouraged, I certainly prayed about this and tried to lay my hopes about running in God’s hands. I prayed with my friend Laura on Thursday about it and also with Jason on Friday night.  In some ways, in comparison to other things swirling around in people’s lives, this seemed minor, and I felt sheepish to ask for prayer about this.  But, I trusted that God cared about it because He knows every hair on my head, and this felt like a big deal in the moment to be unable to run as I had been able to before.  I trusted that there is nothing too small or too big that we can bring to God in prayer.

It also reminded me of the time we went camping at Mt. Rainier, and you lost the cross necklace that you wore all the time.  

You had been playing down by the creek where there were so many logs and spots to play in the water, and you had taken your necklace off and set it somewhere so you wouldn’t lose it when you jumped in the water.  But when you got out of the water, you could not find it again.  I went down to help you look when you reported that it was missing.  While I knew there was a chance that we might not find it, I remember praying for God to help me go directly to the spot. I looked for a while and did not have any success, but then I went back one more time and tried to imagine where you walked. As I walked on a log, I looked down and there it was in plain sight. My heart immediately cried out a prayer of gratitude to God for answering this little prayer about this beloved necklace. 

As we’ve talked about, God is not a genie. It’s not like He answers every whim and prayer we whisper in our hearts. But what I do know beyond a shadow of a doubt is that God hears our prayers and loves it when we come to Him. That connection is what matters.

So, today’s run was a joyful run because it was indeed an answer to prayer, but it also reminds me that we have a God who loves us deeply and who cares about the intimate details of our lives. 

May you know that God delights in hearing your heart and is already running to you when he sees you running to Him with your prayers.