running may be a strong word. maybe more like, jogging. i’ve never considered myself a runner…but i do love it. i usually do it alone, mostly because my awkward nine and half minute a mile pace does not seem to be reciprocated by anyone i’ve ever met. i’m either dying trying to keep up with someone or just far enough in front of them that it’s awkward to have a conversation. but when i hit that pace that feels right to me, i usually feel like i could go forever.
some of my favorite afternoons in the past few years have been spent on the trails of lynchburg with Roscoe, sometimes with autumn leaves surrounding our feet, sometimes through snow and slipping through ice and sometimes dripping with sweat and having to share my water bottle with him. i usually drag that poor dog miles and miles until he refuses to go any farther. there’s just something about being alone, with country music in my headphones, running, and thinking and letting those happy endorphins put a weird smile on my face. i really miss that. really do.
i’ve done my fair share working out on the race. but running isn’t easy to come by. i don’t know if you know, but you literally cannot go anywhere or do anything by yourself on the race. i have not been alone in ten months. so trying to run with people doesn’t usually work out as well as i hope. we make due the best we can…but usually stationary workouts are the way to go – everyone at their own pace.
but i asked last night if a few people would run with me today, cause i knew i missed it. so i realized today as a few of us were running, running with a group has some benefits. they push you to run harder. they hold you accountable for not walking “just a few steps.” they keep you mentally in the run and make it a lot more fun through laughter and teasing and conversations.
this month, we’re unsung heroes. it’s a more laid back month and we make our own schedule. theres a lot of weight on personal discipline and hearing from the Lord. our job is to look for contacts around the country to connect them with the world race for future teams to come. so we spend a lot of time in prayer, in worship and seeing what the Lord has for us. it’s proving to be a pretty incredible experience.
just like with running on the race, it’s not done alone. it’s taking our entire team, all with different roles to make this month work. and just like it doesn’t seem like anyone is at my physical running pace….it seems like there’s no one at my spiritual running pace either. i knew from the beginning of this team that everyone would spiritually outrun me by miles and miles. but, again running with a group at different levels has some benefits.
they push to me to run faster and seek after Jesus harder than i would alone. this month already they have pushed me to marathons of worship that i would have never attempted alone. 10k’s of prayer that i would have said i would never make it through and sprints of listening to the Lord’s voice that have proved to be more fruitful than anything i have ever seen. i have seen and heard and experienced the Lord in more intimate ways than i ever have before and it is because i’m not running alone. it’s because my nine and a half minute a mile pace isn’t good enough and my team knows it.
so as much as i miss going for a run alone, i know i’m going to miss group runs. being pushed harder, to go faster to see more and experience more. i know i need to find a group like this at home, that’s going to push me to go harder, teach me how to push through and love me through when i’m making them walk with me. i’m gonna take advantage of these next 50 days on the race and press into my team, appreciate what they bring to my life and my walk with the Lord. it’s easy to feel anxious about what home is going to look like…but, i’m not gonna do that. i’m gonna appreciate the blessing of community and ministry around me and worry about what home looks like when home gets here.
