Running Shoes

In an effort to keep my middle age body from taking on the proportions of a beach ball, I took up running a few months ago. Grudgingly, I would put on my sweats and running shoes and head out on the streets of Marion to try and will myself to make it a block or two before my lungs started screaming for mercy and air. If I was lucky, I would log a few miles a week and call it good. Something kind of strange started occurring however, about a month ago. I actually started enjoying it!! Yes, my lungs still yelled at me for putting them through the agony of breathing so hard, but I started noticing that they actually waited until I had covered more than just a couple of blocks. Blocks turned to miles, and I started to enjoy the "runner's high" that I had heard about. Now, if I don't get out almost daily, I find myself missing that time when I can enjoy the solitude of my run.

My spiritual health and Christian "walk" with God is much the same way. I used to be satisfied with a prayer or two once in a while. A daily devotional time did not seem that important. I have since come to realize how important it is to exercise regularly my spiritual life. Oh sure, I'll admit it; I started out dragging myself out of bed in the morning, and getting my devotional out to read it. Gradually over time however, I found myself looking forward to reading, praying and having that solitude time with God each morning. Now, if I miss that time for some reason or another, I don't feel right the rest of the day.

As important as it is for me to maintain my physical health through exercise, God has taught me that it is just as important to stay spiritually healthy through daily devotionas and prayer. I think of Paul's writing where he says in II Timothy 4:7 "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." Some day, I'll get to put on my eternal running shoes and run the streets of gold in heaven. Until then, I plan on keeping physically fit by continuing my running, and keeping spiritually fit by exercising my faith regularly. De Colores