Tomorrow will worry about itself

I took yesterday and today off from running because my achilles was a bit sore from the trail run this weekend.  While I am about a month away from the race, I can feel nervous about any aches and pains and wonder if I've injured something that will hinder my ability to run the race well. 

I have a friend who is dealing with some severe back pain, and she asked me to pray for her today.  She texted me later with these words "Let tomorrow's worries be tomorrow" along with the verses from Matthew 6:25-34: 

 These are such wise words and I pray that they would be words that will be a comfort for you when you have aches, pains or worries that crop up and try to steal your joy today.  

Rise and Shine & Run

This morning it was such a treat to be sitting at the breakfast table after I got back from a trail run with Elizabeth and have you come over and ask if I could go for a run with you for 1-2 miles. 

My response was a resounding "YES!" 

I loved the time with you and the chance to see the beauty of the mountains this morning.

You went further than you thought as we ran through the tunnel under the highway before turning back. 

You kept a steady pace, and you even kicked it as we got closer to the house. 

It was fun hearing you talk about how you wanted to run a bit more this summer to stay in shape for soccer, and you even were up for going once a week with me when we can fit it in... 

Thanks for the treat of being my running buddy again today- it was the highlight of my weekend!  

I am praying for many more miles together.... 

Running buddy

I loved running with you today for the first leg of the Sunflower Relay.  There was one point when I asked you if you wanted me to put my hand on your back to give you a little push and you said sure.  You pushed through when it was hard, and you even cheered Isaac on when you were feeling tired.  I was so proud of you and loved having you as my running buddy!

At the end of the race, you seemed to have a jet pack and 

you kicked it up the last hill and then sprinted at the end.  

May you know that I’ll always be 

beside you ready to push you up hills

 and behind you cheering you on.  

Naming

This morning, as I was running with Elizabeth, we stopped at the Arboretum for a bathroom break. As I was waiting for her, I saw a wall that had some pictures of birds that people had spotted near the park.  I was delighted to see this picture of the steller jay as we had seen one on a run a few weeks before and I had not known the name of the beautiful bird before. 

It made me think about the importance of naming. 

It reminded me of the book by Madeleine L'Engle called A Wind in the Door that I read a number of years ago. 

There is an exchange between Meg, the teenage heroine of the book, and an angel named Progo.

Progo is explaining why he is calling out the names of the stars. He knows they need to be named in order for peace to exist on earth.

The enemy of peace is a force called the Ecthroi, which Progo interprets to Meg this way:

“I think your mythology would call them fallen angels. War and hate are their business, and one of their chief weapons is un-Naming – making people not know who they are. If someone knows who he is, really knows, then he doesn’t need to hate. That’s why we still need Namers, because there are places throughout the universe like your planet Earth. When everyone is really and truly Named, then the Echthroi will be vanquished.”

I want you to know your name, Taylor, and my prayer with your "Crossing" and your birthday celebration this month is for you to know more deeply who you are. Because when you know who you are, you don't need to hate. And then you can be a Namer too--- 

The Art of Listening

We heard this story in the sermon a few Sundays ago...

One day, a Native American from a rural village decided to visit a friend in New York City. As they walked together down the hustling sidewalk, the Native American suddenly held up his hand. They paused, and he asked his friend, "Do you hear that?" 
"Hear what?" his friend asked over the noise, a bit bewildered. 
"It's a cricket," the Native American said. 
"A cricket?" his friend replied. "I don't hear a cricket. In fact, how is it even possible to hear a cricket over the roar of the traffic?" The Native American then walked to the street corner,  where a small cricket was sitting.  He leaned over and scooped it up, much to the amazement of his friend. 
The Native American smiled and led his friend toward a group of people.  As they caught up with the group, he reached into his pocket, grabbed some change, and dropped it on the ground.  Heads turned as the change hit the ground.  Most of the people around them had heard that sound.  
The Native American turned toward his friend with a smile and said, "You hear what you want to hear." 

When we don't hear God, the problem is not that He isn't talking, but that we're not attuned to the sound of His voice. 

My prayer for you in the coming days is for God to open your ears so that you don't miss one thing that He has for you.  

laser focus

One of the things about marathon training is that it takes laser focus on a goal.  With the training this past week, I feel tired and just want to sleep for a week after the 20 mile run on Sunday, but then I need to get back out there and hit the pavement this morning for a tough speed workout.  

I read that Steve Jobs said that one important trait when developing great products is about focus. And focusing is about saying no.  

Saying no to certain things is essential so that the end goal is front and center and takes priority.  

Soren Kierkegaard said this in another way:

 "Purity of heart is to will one thing."

Sometimes, this kind of focus is amazing, and we get better results in the long run and peace of mind.  But I think sometimes, it can easily get out of wack. For example, last night, I was so focused on knowing I was going to have to be getting up early for my run that I did not sleep well.  (To run well, I actually need to be well rested so it can actually backfire if I focus so much on the running that I don't take time to rest.) 

Anyway, all of this is to say that I think you have an incredible laser focus on some things. This can be such a gift as you work on a goal and strive towards that end.  However, I also think it needs to be checked every once in a while so that you keep things in balance. 

So, today, my prayer for you is for God to continue to strengthen you with tenacity and also with wisdom in how to use the laser focus that you've been given. 

push yourself

Today, Elizabeth and I ran 20.25 miles, and as I type this, it feels like we ran double that. Whew-- I'm tired just writing that distance out right now. :) 

The good news is that we were able to crank it out and I don't think I could have done this 2-3 weeks ago.  The bad news is that as we finished today, it was hard for me to imagine going another 6 miles (which is what the marathon will be).

But, I have to hold on to the fact that with this being my 10th marathon, I've been here before. I can think of other 20 mile runs I've done in my trainings over the years and they are not ever easy.  In training with Elizabeth, I am definitely pushing myself more than if I were training alone and I know I am getting stronger.  So, I'll just keep trying each day to run the best I can and to try to push myself a little further than I think I can go, and I'll make it to that finish line.

My prayer for you today is that you too will be able to push yourself further than you think you can go -- in soccer, in school, etc.  When you want to throw in the towel, my hope and prayer for you is to dig in and push through.  You've got an amazing group of family and friends who have your back. We're rooting for you!