I am not good at running, but I love it. I used to just abhor it until I went to college and realized what a stress reliever it is; it calms and focuses my mind while working and pushing my body. I think running is a spiritual thing. It shows me so much about my walk with Jesus Christ and it's one of the most sensible analogies to me. Just think about running... demanding and tiresome are the strides it takes to make it up that hill, but each step is invigorating, refreshing, renewing; much like my life with Christ. I think a lot of people think that when they first come to believe Jesus is their Savior, they have to be perfect; they think they magically have endurance to last forever and will never grow tired or frustrated. In short, that is just not true! We're human and we're simply unable to do anything of value without His grace. His standards are high, His love is endless, and His grace provides all that we need, all that He asks of us. He gently encourages me through every day He gives me, every step of my run.
When you run you're supposed to inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth for the best lung endurance and heart-rate consistency. This is super hard for me to do, I always want to breathe through my mouth just because it's easier and more natural. But God gives me the grace to take in Jesus with every inhalation through my nose, and I can feel Him giving my body and my spirit glorious energy. He pushes me through hills and past any thresholds my human control wants to give up on. And what's more, it's okay if I walk. He is with me whether I am sitting, walking, running, or sprinting!
God gives me grace through music, especially when I'm running. He sings of His love for me and that alone propels me throughout my day. I struggle a lot with wanting attention and recognition from other people; it's apart of my SIN- to desire affirmation from anyone but Christ, and I hate it. Lately I have been pondering what it looks like to focus trying to do things to get attention from the Lord instead of those around me (guys, friends, family, guys, teachers, and, did I mention guys?). A very dear friend told me this: "Maybe it's not trying to get attention from Him, but realizing the attention He has already been giving you; given you since before you were born. You have His undivided, loving attention...all of it, all the time." Shooot! Tell me that's not beautiful! The Creator of this world and everything in it has been giving me His full attention since the beginning of time, and here I am trying to gain it with good grades and nice gestures and whatever other silly things! That was profound to me...His grace amazes and surprises me.
This song, by Copeland, is my song for this post. It's coincidentally called "You Have My Attention." As I ran today, this song played and I got to lose myself for just a little bit in His attention, His grace, as He sang to me, "Alex, beloved, you have my attention, like you've had all the while."
Give an ear ---> You Have My Attention- Copeland (Youtube)
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