Of Hope and Courage and another 13.1

Greatly lacking in my life these past few months is the discipline of exercise. And by lacking, I mean totally void. Nothing. Not any. Quitting the gym didn't help. I reasoned I'd spend less time in a building and more time outside running once I dropped Zumba. Hmmm, such noble intentions.

I've heard several people say that the way to get back into running is to sign up for a race. I've thought about that...but that means I'd have to run a race. At this moment, that seems a near impossible feat. A little less than a year and a half ago I ran my first, my only, 1/2 marathon. It was awesome. So awesome that I vowed to do it again. It's now 2013 and I've only been running about a dozen times since that glorious October 2011 morning. I admit there are some valid reasons for this departure from training. Although a yo-yo exercise regimen causes me distress and guilt. Shame isn't a great long-term motivator. Instead, it's time (once again) to let go of fear, laziness, and excuses. It's time to let go of the pseudo-security I feel curled up in my bed. Lately I've sensed the Spirit leading me out of my cozy cocoon and onto the cold open road. So cold. Uggh. I know God will meet me there as He did back in 2011.

When God wants my attention, He weaves the most inspiring tapestry. This morning God used my dear friend Denise to bring Psalm 91 back to my mind. Psalm 91 first came to my attention in May 2011 when Alan and I were in Honduras visiting the home of a Compassion child. Her family's kitchen is pictured below. Living in poverty, this joyful family believed and trusted in the meaning of Psalm 91 in ways I honestly cannot.















On the wall of their home, Psalm 91 speaks of dwelling in the shelter of the Most High. It proclaims that God is my, "refuge and my fortress." It promises that if you make the Most High your dwelling "then no harm will befall you." It describes God's protection and presence. Today Psalm 91 is a powerful reminder to me that my physical body, my idols of comfort, must not rule my actions. Psalm 91 reminds me to trust. It fills me with hope, it reignites my desire to believe and to run.

Just registered.