WOW - what a great showing today! 13 runners/walkers came at 5:30 to run/walk together and share their stories!

Chapter two of the book talks about spirituality. Who is God for you? How do you experience God? As I talked, shared and listened today what I heard was that God is present during running in a variety of ways:

  • When you shut off the watch and the music and just run for the joy of running
  • Finding inspiration during a run, an answer to a question or a prayer
  • Experiencing the beauty in nature – double rainbows, deer, all of God’s glory
  • Finding joy in those you encounter while on your run
  • Accepting that falling is a part of running
  • Finding inspiration in one another

God is present in each of these experiences; we just need to be open to recognizing His presence! I think this is a skill we have all have to work on. Initially when I started running I would call out to God to get me through or keep me from failing, but now I call out to God to be with me. I can’t always put my experiences into words after a run. There are times when I can easily share my spiritual experience – like when I encountered a group of deer or a double rainbow, but then there are times when I am running and I am encountering God in a way that isn’t as tangible or describable. Recently I was talking to someone about my encounter with the deer a few weeks ago. She excitedly told me about someone comparing for her lectio divina, or praying with scripture, with a deer chewing its cud. What a thought! When we pray and contemplate God in our life we should chew on it for quite some time. So I then connected that to my run and the feeling I had as I stood there watching all those deer chewing. God might be sending me a message. I look at deer differently now, not just a beautiful creation, but also a reminder to me of sitting with and chewing on those things that will nourish me – like God’s Word! Hmmm… all of that from running and seeing deer! That’s God at work; that’s spirituality!

God was truly present this morning as we gathered, prayed, ran/walked, and shared with one another! The energy of the group left me with a great joy this morning! Thank you to all who came and joined in!

Blessing on your day and your weekend! May you be open to encountering God in your activity today!