Cute badge is by Tiffany...thanks for sharing!
I was lucky enough to get paired with Tiffany Henness, aka Running Hutch, who blogs at Heavy Medal! It was a perfect match because we are both runners!
You can check out my post on Tiffany's blog HERE. And please visit Katie's blog to read ALL the Sweat Pink Blog Swap posts!
Here is Tiffany's awesome post!!! Please leave her lots of love in the comments! :-)
It was well past sunset and the road in front of me was a dark
void amidst the distant glow of streetlights below. I was running on a bike
path built on top of a damn wall above and removed from the city streets. If I
looked up and outward my eyes adjusted to the lights beyond the park and I felt
like I was outside the world, looking in. If I looked down toward the path
ahead, my eyes could barely make out the white lines. My husband and I ran side
by side in complete silence and there was no one else around. Barely listening
to the rhythm of our steps and breath, we were focused on our own thoughts. I
was thinking and dreaming of things that rarely enter my mind.
I thought about my place in the world and how in-touch I am with
the world God created, the natural and spiritual side of it. The spiritual
world is not something I claim to know about or think much about, but as a
Christ follower, I do believe that it exists (as do many people of other
faiths). More often than not, I'm preoccupied with the physical world. Running
requires moving my body, and I'm very well aware of how heavy it feels and
sweaty it gets. Then I get hungry and I want to eat something hearty. Then I
shower and enjoy the feel of clean clothes on my happily sore body.
This run was different. I had no distractions. I prayed and I
breathed. I recognized God’s greatness and my smallness. I imagined how many
amazing and crazy things God had created that I couldn’t possible know about or
understand. Did God design my body and soul to be active at the same time? What
would that even mean or look like? Can running be an act of worship? I don’t
know, but I was thinking and dreaming about the possibilities.
On this dark run, I felt like my physical side and spiritual
side were closer together somehow. I closed my eyes for a while (still running)
and imagined my soul floating with my body as my legs propelled it forward. I
know God created my body and soul to work together, somehow, and in this
moment, it seemed like they were. It was one of the most calm and yet joyful
runs I’ve ever had. Some might call it zen-like. I felt like I could go on
forever.
Do you connect your running with your faith? If so, how?
Do you pray when you run? Meditate? Have you tried it?
