This morning, I went for a run. I believe God wants to speak to YOU through the stuff I experienced on my route. I know He spoke to me.

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What a beautiful morning we had today! When I woke up, I thought about slipping out for a run right away, but decided to enjoy the cool morning breeze on our porch instead. Later, my daughter joined me. As I held her in my arms, she said those things that just melt a daddy’s heart.

“If you weren’t my daddy, my life would be horrifying.”

“Daddy, Jesus knew I needed you to be my dad.”

(If this was a text message, it’s here that I would insert a crying emoji!!!)

Music

Once I laced up, I grabbed my wife’s hand-me-over headphones. See, a few months ago I lost my AirPods. I know exactly where, but no one ever turned them in. I’ve been going crazy without them, but can’t justify buying a replacement pair right now. So, I dug out my old bluetooth headphones and used those…until they broke last week.

Steph had an old pair she stopped using, but these were a style I typically don’t wear. I started my run and my music…and they promptly fell out of my ears. Apparently, I was meant to run unplugged today. I turned around, tossed the headphones inside the porch door, and ran back out.

This was probably the first inclination I had that God wanted to spend some time with me on the road today. No music. Just Him and I.

Which Path?

There are two routes I take when I want to push myself a bit. The first is a 4.4 mile loop around the block. It’s hilly in places, and has two relatively steep inclines as I run up the State Route 30 overpasses.

This route builds strength. The second builds endurance. It’s also the Bane to my Batman. It’s a 5.5 mile flat route straight west from my house to the next major crossroads and back. It’s insanely boring, and when the sun is out, can be extremely hot.

I really didn’t know which path I would take today. Both routes diverge at the stoplight in town. I almost turned to do the 4.4 mile loop when, at the last moment, I felt a push that I needed to take the boring route.

By the way, when I say it’s the Bane to my Batman, know this: the character Bane broke Batman’s back. This route I’ve only conquered a handful of times. It’s that boring. It’s my Bane.

God Speaks

I began to get a sense that God wanted to use this route as an opportunity to minister to others around the .7 of a mile mark. I passed a side road, and it’s here that I could have turned north on it to run a 2.65 mile small loop that I sometimes take. As I looked down the road, I said to God:

“I’m not going to stop running. If you want me to use this to speak to others, you have to give me the strength to run the entire distance. No walk breaks.”

Another half mile or so up the road is another side road. This is a 4.5 mile loop I used to run a lot when I was training for my half marathon. I almost turned here too, but felt I needed to press on.

To not deviate from the path God set me on.

To not give up or do it my own way.

Eventually, Isaiah 40:31 popped in my head. 

But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

I looked down the road and saw the turn around point. I was close to the 2 mile mark and overall feeling good. But then I looked behind me.

Running is 10% physical and 90% mental. With the sun behind me, I had a realization: the sun would be hotter and beating down on my face on the return route home.

“Turn around. You can’t do it. GIVE UP.”

Isaiah 40:31. “They will run and not grow weary.”

Can you hear the enemy telling you that right now? Turn around. Stop following the path God has for you. You won’t make it.

As I crossed the two mile mark, I felt like any moment now I should be crossing the halfway point. About a tenth of a mile later, I remembered why I hate this course. 

Ahead of me, I could see it. But remember: this is a flat route. You can see that spot for quite a distance. 

There are times when it feels like the place God wants to take you is so far off. That it will never come. You can see it. You can taste it. And yet, it remains elusive. Staring back at you, taunting you.

I closed off my mind to the battle. I started thinking about other things. There’s a bridge just before the turn around point. Next thing I knew, I was crossing the bridge. I realized that I missed almost an entire quarter mile of the run by thinking on other things. Sounds like Philippians 4:8, doesn’t it?

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

The Destination

I prayed throughout this run. I focused on God. I asked him to give me joy in the journey. Then, I focused on the destination, the end result awaiting me. I thought about the past, and mentally said goodbye to the things holding me back. 

As I approached the turn around point, I felt a sense of accomplishment. I made it to the place where God sent me. But now, I had the long journey home.

As I turned around, I prayed, “God, now renew my strength!”

I felt God tell me to slow down. I wouldn’t stop running, but I needed to reduce my pace — save my energy for the last push home. 

The Enemy

It feels weird at times to acknowledge Satan. I think we sometimes forget that he’s there to tempt us, to stop us, and to destroy us.

For those who might not know, my wife dealt with melanoma last year. It’s made us more aware of the importance of UV protection. When I left the house, the UV index was 3. It increased to a 5 during my run.

I’m also more bald than I care to admit. So, just as I feared, the route home was challenging. I felt the UV rays burning my forehead.

Sorta like the fiery arrows the enemy throws at us. 

Just like sunscreen protects us from UV rays, the Shield of Faith is meant to protect us from those darts. I left without sunscreen on. I figured I could make it home before the UV index became dangerous, so I left without my “shield.”

Don’t leave your shield at home. The enemy will throw fiery arrows your way. 

Temptations

I mentally wrote parts of this blog between the 3 and 4.5 mile mark. I don’t know how much of this is word for word what I prepared on the course, but that, too, helped to pass the time. 

With 1.25 miles to go, Satan reminded me of my past. As I mentioned earlier, I passed the turn off for a 4.5 mile loop I used to run frequently. I felt him say, “You’d already be home had you taken this course.”

Verbally, I said “Get behind me Satan. You have no power in Jesus name.” I felt released, and continued my run.

A little bit later, I passed the mile mark. I felt him again, this time encouraging me to walk. Once again, I rebuked him and moved on.

I looked ahead and expected him to try to discourage me again at the turn off for the 2.65 mile route I mentioned. Instead, he had one more trick up his sleeve. Something unexpected. Isn’t that how he works?

I have a soft spot for dogs. We have two of our own, a West Highland White Terrier and a Poodle/Jack Russel mix. Both are under 12 pounds. Little small dogs who are our constant companions.

Near the .7 mark, a woman had just let her dogs out. They were two small pups, and they saw me. Instantly, they give chase.

I did not want to walk on this route — period. But as these two dogs got closer, I became fearful that they would follow me down the road. I wasn’t afraid of them, but rather for them. Because I was on Lincoln Highway, there was a chance they might get hit. I couldn’t let that happen.

Their owner had things under control. She knew her dogs and that they would eventually stop. She even yelled and said so, that I shouldn’t worry about them. They never got closer than 6 or 7 feet away from me. 

But I almost stopped running for their sake.

However, I kept pushing. I slowed down, but I did not quit. Eventually, they got bored and went home. I realized that, for one final temptation, Satan was trying to get me to break away from the journey God had me on. If I stopped running, it was over. I would walk the rest of the way home. 

I asked myself if there was a spiritual implication. After all, as a pastor, shouldn’t I stop to help others?

In this case, it was a distraction. Someone else had it under control. I needed to keep pressing on.

And so I did. With God. Satan fled as I ignored his schemes.

Where God Wants Us

As I came into town, I realized that God wanted me to stop exactly at 5.5 miles. I ran a bit past the turn around point, and the earlier return home to drop off the headphones was going to make the course slightly longer than normal.

A good best practice after a long run is to walk a bit afterwards. Stopping at 5.5 was only going to be a few houses down from ours. It wasn’t going to be long enough of a cool down walk really. Why did He want me to stop at 5.5?

I got my answer as I came up to the stoplight in town. I watched it as I approached the intersection. It was red for quite a while, and based on my pace, there was a strong likelihood I’d cross just as it turned green for me.

It didn’t.

I did not want to stop running. I couldn’t. It broke the rules of this journey God had me on.

So I ran in place. I kept saying, out loud, to the stop light, “Come on!! Change!” I’m sure the drivers passing me saw my mouth moving, and I wonder how many of them laughed at me.

It never turned green. I ran in place until the final car passed, then I crossed.

Earlier, I thought the destination was the turn around point. I realized a few moments later that this didn’t make sense: if the journey is to get you to a destination, then the halfway spot wasn’t my destination. The 5.5 mile mark was.

Running in place gave me the extra distance I needed so that when I hit exactly 5.5, I was in the exact spot God wanted me to be.

Where was that spot?

In front of a church

Symbolically, this route is my unemployment journey which began 18 months ago when God first told me that my time at the TV station was temporary. I thought the destination, the “halfway point” in this case, was somewhere else. That my family would relocate last fall.

Instead, God took me on a journey today to show me how He’s directing me exactly where I need to go. That destination is a church.

But right now, I’m running in place. I can’t cross the street, because I need just a little bit more time on the journey than I thought.

I don’t know when this journey will end.

I don’t know when your journey will end.

But one day, you’ll cross that 5.5 mile mark and you’ll be in the exact place God wants you to be.

Just don’t stop running. Wait on the Lord and renew your strength. Then run with Him.