WHY WE RUN

"Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." Hebrews 12:1b (NIV)

"No dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race." Philippians 3:13 (NLT)

Runners... We run to improve our physical health.  We run to better our mental wellness and clarity of thought. We run to learn how NOT to give up. We run to belong. We run to inspire and encourage ourselves, each other, and others.

We are all shapes and sizes and ages.

We run in the dusty plains of Kenya.  We run on the sandy shores of Maryland.  We run in the purple mountains of Colorado. We run in the bone-biting cold of Chechnya.  We run in every corner of the globe.

We are athletes. We are overweight couch potatoes seeking to conquer our issues and change our lives. We are amputees and terminally ill triumphing over our life-changing scars and beating down the stabbing words of naysayers.  We are moms and dads, sons and daughters. We are students, doctors, bartenders, and war veterans. We are Olympians. We are all God's children.

The world will be inundated with stories of triumph over evil and stories of heartbreak that arise from the smoke of the Boston Marathon bombings for some time to come. Thus, although I have many thoughts and deep emotions elicited by the God-given, innate desire of humanity to rally together, to act heroically, to push back against the face of evil, this post is not about that day, or how much it brought back memories of 9.11. This post is simply about running.

I am a runner, in the loosest sense of that word. Oh, I've run in a multitude of 5 and 10Ks, but I've never yearned to have my time publicized, and the mere thought of running in even a half-marathon instantaneously sends my quads and hamstrings into spasm. But I run.

I run because the feelings of "breaking into the zone" and pushing my limits far past what I thought I was capable of brings me exhilaration and inspiration at its best.  I run because the journey, the process, is analogous to my journey with God and my journey through Life in a way that nothing else comes close to...

I used to hate running. If I ran, it was simply to run away, and certainly not toward anything. Playing sports as a kid, I'd quit any running drill as soon as I had a stitch in my side--or as soon as the coach wasn't looking.

As a young adult, I rock climbed as often as possible (another beautiful metaphor for the journey of Life), and although I still love that sport, I do not have the time or money or plethora o' rock climbing partners required to continue that investment... I hate gyms and the induced boredom they bring me, and the abounding oogling that occurs in most I've ever worked out in. 

And so, about four years ago, I bought a pair of trail runners, an armband for my iPod, and I stretched my weary limbs and began to run. In the two years leading up to running, I sat in a stagnant swamp of fear and despair in Life. I was not living life with a capital "L".  I knew God, but refused to allow Him to heal the gaping wounds in my heart.  'Refused to step out in faith. My belief that I was loved unconditionally--that I mattered, that my talents mattered--sat behind cobwebs in a locked cabinet.  I was stifled and burdened. I was surrounded by others, but ironically, all alone. And then, a funny thing happened. I began to run. And as I set out for an initial mile, and then two and then three... four... five, I found my life begin to change.

On my runs, at the moment where I felt like I wanted to quit and throw up, I'd push even harder and find the ability to go even further spark from an internal well I did not know that I possessed. I began to develop muscles I didn't even know that I had. My energy levels changed, my thoughts became clearer, and I began to engage in new and real ways with the things around me.

And when I ran my first race, I was emboldened by the others who ran with me. The faster, healthier runners who would slacken their pace momentarily and run beside me, encouraging and supporting me. Those who were struggling more than I, that I in turn, stayed beside and encouraged forward. "I can't" became "I might" and then "I will". 

And I found that if I set a destination for my runs, and I reflected on markers along the route that would remind me of how far I'd come, my journey became easier and more "worth it". I began to see beautiful things along the way that I missed when, head down, I struggled to catch breath, and combated the overwhelming desire to quit.

Through scripture, God tells us that our lives with Him are a race to be run--that when we cease to endure and trust, when we lose sight of our destination, we miss out on the blessings of the road. We become so encumbered with our own struggles that we fall each time a muscle cramps. We're so wrapped up in our own paths, that we hold no interest in connecting with, receiving help and encouragement from, and in turn, helping others along the way. He tells us to keep our eyes set "on the prize" (the destination), and to never quit.

On Monday in Boston, two confused, lost, and evil young brothers sought to destroy the joy that comes from finishing the long and difficult run. But, in spite of the murder and life-altering that  they caused, they failed... On an epic level.  They simply strengthened our collective resolve to keep on, and to keep on running. And so we will.  We will continue to run toward our destination, and will enjoy the beauty and the joy, the overwhelming sadness and pain, that the race brings.

For this is why we run.