You know- I consider myself to be a pretty fun person. However, I do- at times and like everyone else- get caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Sometimes, I forget to have fun. Sometimes, I'm more focused on cleaning the house, doing the laundry, walking the dog, changing poopy diapers, and handling everything else a day throws at you- that I forget to enjoy all the things I have to be thankful for. They become burdens instead of blessings.
Running can be like that- it becomes something we have to do, instead of something we want to do. Today, as I ran down one of the main streets in our town, I passed a woman with a knee to ankle cast and crutches.
I have been on crutches before. I will never forget it. It was awful.
In that moment- as I effortlessly breezed by (...effortless because I was going downhill- on two legs- not on crutches) I became extremely thankful for two legs that work the way they're supposed to. I became thankful that I have an amazing husband who doesn't mind staying with the baby, so I can run.
The run started with a bee sting- I was a little put out - not to mention swollen. It was hot outside- I was sweating like a sumo wrestler in a sauna, and my legs were tired, but in that moment- none of that mattered. I could run- what a blessing!
1st Thessalonians 5:18 says, "In everything, give thanks..." I like the way the The Message Version puts it. It says,"Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live."
Bee stings?
Crutches?
Heat wave?
Pshhht- that's nothing!
Be cheerful- no matter what.
Thank God- No Matter What Happens.
When you do that- your perspective changes, and everyday is an opportunity to make you smile.
I did finish the run, and guess what? When I finished- sumo sweat and all- there just happened to be a glorious sprinkler watering the lawn on the track, and you better believe I abandoned my Nike's and ran through it like a kid in a candy store! It was the most fun I've had on a run in a long time.
The sprinkler was there when I started, but I didn't really see it. I wasn't looking. In the process of enduring the bee sting, the sumo sweat, and my encounter with crutch woman-my perspective changed. I became thankful. On the contrary, if I'd quit when the one mile run uphill got too hard and my legs were screaming for salvation, when my feet were clumsily conquering the cracks in the sidewalk- I would never have enjoyed the sprinkler the way I did. I probably wouldn't have even considered it. It would have just been another avenue to a green lawn, another hike in the water bill. Instead it was an opportunity for refreshment- an opportunity for fun.
So today, be cheerful- no matter what. Don't quit. Thank God- No matter what happens. Find your sprinkler.
Running can be like that- it becomes something we have to do, instead of something we want to do. Today, as I ran down one of the main streets in our town, I passed a woman with a knee to ankle cast and crutches.
I have been on crutches before. I will never forget it. It was awful.
In that moment- as I effortlessly breezed by (...effortless because I was going downhill- on two legs- not on crutches) I became extremely thankful for two legs that work the way they're supposed to. I became thankful that I have an amazing husband who doesn't mind staying with the baby, so I can run.
The run started with a bee sting- I was a little put out - not to mention swollen. It was hot outside- I was sweating like a sumo wrestler in a sauna, and my legs were tired, but in that moment- none of that mattered. I could run- what a blessing!
1st Thessalonians 5:18 says, "In everything, give thanks..." I like the way the The Message Version puts it. It says,"Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live."
Bee stings?
Crutches?
Heat wave?
Pshhht- that's nothing!
Be cheerful- no matter what.
Thank God- No Matter What Happens.
When you do that- your perspective changes, and everyday is an opportunity to make you smile.
I did finish the run, and guess what? When I finished- sumo sweat and all- there just happened to be a glorious sprinkler watering the lawn on the track, and you better believe I abandoned my Nike's and ran through it like a kid in a candy store! It was the most fun I've had on a run in a long time.
The sprinkler was there when I started, but I didn't really see it. I wasn't looking. In the process of enduring the bee sting, the sumo sweat, and my encounter with crutch woman-my perspective changed. I became thankful. On the contrary, if I'd quit when the one mile run uphill got too hard and my legs were screaming for salvation, when my feet were clumsily conquering the cracks in the sidewalk- I would never have enjoyed the sprinkler the way I did. I probably wouldn't have even considered it. It would have just been another avenue to a green lawn, another hike in the water bill. Instead it was an opportunity for refreshment- an opportunity for fun.
So today, be cheerful- no matter what. Don't quit. Thank God- No matter what happens. Find your sprinkler.