Exercise, Therapy, & a Quiet Time

During different phases in my life, I have been a somewhat consistent runner (slow jogger). I do go through these phases and at times I stick it out longer than others. But since high school I have always loved to run.

During my time in South Africa I wasn't able to run too much. I'm not an early morning runner and by the time I could run at night it was dark and unsafe. So for two years I have barely run at all.

This evening I went for one of my first runs in nearly three years. I mean I have run some here and there in the past three years, but not consistently at all and not much. This evening as I ran I was reminded of why I like to run so much. One is that it is exercise. It's gets the endorphins going and you just feel good afterwards. You may not feel so great in the morning, but at least for the rest of the evening it's a good feeling.

My second reason for the love of running is that it's like therapy. Running seems to help clear my head like few other things do. I love how clear life seems when you're out for a run. For the few moments you are out there life makes sense. It's great.

My third reason I love running is that it's time with God. Inevitably I wind up talking to God while I am running. Whether it be the landscape, the thoughts in my head, the emotions I'm running through, or whatever I always wind up having some type of discussion with God while I am out for a run. I cherish those times.

I realized tonight that I don't just run with my physical self. I run physical, emotionally, and spiritually. I don't have much endurance for distance and I'm horribly out of shape right now, but I love to run. You would think that loving it so much and having so many reasons for it that I would do it more. Maybe now that Spring is here and the weather is beckoning me outside, I'll run more.

Until then ......