Here is a little phone conversation I had yesterday:
Me: I've got a little running streak going.
Jackie: Great! What kind of streak?
Me: A running streak.
....silence across the phone lines....
Jackie: Oh! You mean running!
Okay. This may be confusing. But, I have a little running streak going. I have run for 35 days in a row! I have a friend who has a big running streak going. She has run for 386 days in a row. So, mine is just little.
It's a big deal, though, because I'm not good at it, I don't like it, and I sweat terribly. Running is good for me. Period. That is why I do it.
My running began almost two years ago and besides the physical benefits, there are some blessings that go along with my little jogs. I get to run along wooded dirt roads and on smooth paved roads past loved ones' homes. I have seen the sun rise and seen the sun set. I have heard birds singing songs I would never hear from inside the house. I have smelled freshly tilled earth, newly planted with wheat seeds. I have nearly stumbled over big rocks, mud puddles, and dead snakes. I have worshiped and prayed. Many times I am alone, but I have also been joined by my sister, my husband, and my dog.
Yesterday, I had planned a fairly short outing and half-way through I did something I had never done before. I took a detour. To my left was a pond that I rarely visit.
On that pond is a small deck.
On that deck is a swing.
And I sat down. Right in the middle of my run.
I think that peaceful, quiet time did as much for my heart as the run that took me there and back home. And, I think I will do that again. Maybe on a Saturday next time, too. Maybe I'll get a streak of how many Saturdays I have taken a detour!
