Running...

If you know me now, you know that I exercise pretty regularly.  I've had somewhat of a journey to get to this point...and by journey I mean that at one time I didn't believe in exercise!  ;)  In college, I would go on walks, more for the social value than anything.  I remember looking through the windows in the SAC gym and thinking there was no way I would be brave enough to set foot in there.  I also remember judging girls who actually did go there to exercise...yeah...not proud moments!  Such is life...

In Chicago, we lived off of around $10 a week per person for food.  And I lived with a house full of girls who loved to eat...so we didn't always make the best choices.  We went to "work out" for 30 minutes every now and then at the gym in our neighborhood...once again, more of a social thing.  More pounds...are you getting the idea here?  When I moved back to Georgia, I had a realization that if I didn't get myself back in order, health wise especially, it would only get harder.

Thus my journey...I started walking on a treadmill.  That was it.  Then I started getting on the eliptical.  The owner would always say, "Why don't you just run?!"  To which I would reply "No!  I will never run!  I hate it." 

Until one day...walking got too slow...the eliptical got old...and I wanted to test myself a bit.  So, I ran.  5 minutes the first time.  That was enough.  haha

But the next day, I ran again...and the next, and the next...until I was running around 5 miles a day.  I learned that it was physical, of course...but it was more mental...I could run just 5 more minutes.

I'm not just trying to bore you with my personal history of exercise...I read the account of the shepherds the other day...how the angel appeared to them and told them about this wonderful thing that had happened and told them where to find the baby.  But they had to make the decision to go...and when they decided to go and see this great promise fulfilled in a baby, they RAN!  They ran the whole way to Bethlehem...from the fields into the city.  We live in the country, so I imagine that it wasn't terribly close by...takes a little time to go to town.  And they ran the whole way.  Maybe it was adrenaline.  Maybe they were in great shape.  Maybe it was the sheer possibility of what they would see.  But, yes, they ran...

Have you gone for a run lately?  Sure, physically you can run and feel that rush of adrenaline and endorphins kick in...but have you been so excited about something God is doing, or will do, that you break out in a full out run toward it? Have you run toward Bethlehem yet this season?  It's time to lace up those shoes and get going.