My Life Is Blessed With Bluebirds!

Yesterday and today, I have been feeling the soreness from Sunday’s triumphant run on the Greenway. Though, as much as I was hurting, I was still eager to get out there and run even a little. I felt as though I shouldn’t push too much, but that I shouldn’t use that as an excuse to not push at all. So, I settled for driving down to the Greenway. Walking or running there would add an extra couple miles on top of the round-trip four on the Greenway and I knew that I shouldn’t push it that much (this time).

Before I went out the door, I began doing a few stretches. The kids always know by now that Mommy is “gonna work out.” So, they imitate me by trying to do the stretches I’m doing. It was touching to me, because I can only hope that they will stay active and fit as they grow; working out for fun and not because they have weight to lose (like me). It was so cute to see them stretching! I thought maybe it would be fun if they could come with me. I asked Mitch if he wanted to go and pull the kids in the wagon. He thought that sounded nice, so we all went.

We parked at the end of the Greenway and he got the kids in the wagon while I stretched a little more. Then, I looked back at him with a smile and bounded off. My iPod helped me keep pace as usual, and I checked my time as I passed each ½ mile marker on the Greenway. By the time I reached eleven minutes, I had gone a mile! That sounded pretty good to me! So, I figured I would reach the end of the Greenway and hit that two mile marker in another eleven minutes. I was close. It took me twenty-five minutes to run two miles. But, at least I know how long it takes and what I can do at this point!! Glory to God!! I never would have thought I could do that - ESPECIALLY today with all the soreness I had!!

I sat down on the bench to rest, and thanked the Lord for the success. It would be great to run back, but I knew that today I had given it my best and that now was the time to be considerate of myself and walk the rest of the way back. There’s a time to push and a time NOT to push. I had done enough, and it was time to just walk and enjoy!

I met Mitch and the kids on the way back and we walked together. My hips and legs were feeling it, but I made it! It seemed to take forever to walk back compared to running (of course!). It made me think of how I’m going on this journey. My pace and progress varies, but the one thing that is for certain is that I WILL get there (as long as I KEEP MOVING!). And, along the way, I can enjoy the journey! Calories burned are calories burned; 802 total in 71 minutes! Praise God!

Even more awesome than the calories burned and the pounds lost is the face that God never ceases to show me things on these amazing walks/runs. As we were journeying back to the van, we saw a bird - and not just any bird either! Mitch thought it was a blue jay, but it wasn’t. It was smaller than a blue jay; and it looked completely blue. It was small and sleek like a hummingbird, but a little larger than that. I wasn’t sure what kind of bird it was, but this is a picture I googled when I got home:




When I found the picture, I smiled because my first thought was that I had just seen “the bluebird of happiness.” It was yet another special gift from God because for one, it was something I had never seen around here (or maybe even ever!). Secondly, I wouldn’t have seen it if I had been racing past it and pushing my sore body for another two miles. There are many reasons to listen to God’s urges to “slow down” in your life. If you don’t you’ll not only push yourself to exhaustion, but you will miss the bluebirds He’s trying to give you! I am SO GLAD that I accepted the prompt to slow down! Look what I would have missed if I hadn’t!

That bluebird also reminded me of one more thing. It’s a movie of Shirley Temple’s that I have and love: “The Blue Bird”. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it!! Shirley plays an ungrateful/miserable little girl who doesn’t realize just how blessed she is. It was a kind of “Wizard of Oz” type movie (which some of you may know that she did “The Blue Bird” after Judy Garland got the part of Dorothy instead of her - stupid studio politics!). Shirley’s character is told to find the “bluebird of happiness” and she, her brother, and their pets go on a journey to look for it. It ends up (spoiler warning!) that they don’t find it at all; until they wake up and realize that the blue bird is right there in their house. It was there the whole time!!

Anyways, I just thought that was special and I wanted to share it with you all!! Seeing something so extraordinary like that (and being reminded of that movie and how wonderful my life truly is) just touches my heart!! It was also a blessing to see my kids enjoying their wagon ride and getting all excited about the ducks and geese they saw!! It was also precious to see them get out, run, and laugh as they just roamed free! They are my little bluebirds!! I am very blessed indeed!!

God has been so good to me on the Greenway! I usually learn and/or accomplish something each time that I am there and I’m always so excited to go there each time (and to tell others about it - see previous blog!). So, this is one of my “God on the Greenway” stories. Yeah, I think I’ll call it that! God is always on that Greenway - and everywhere!! He’s so awesome!!

Grace and peace to all of you!! Look for the “bluebirds” in your life! Chances are, you won’t have to search very far!! My dear friends, we are SO BLESSED!! Yes, even in this economy, and with all the evil that runs amok in the world, we are BLESSED by our Father in heaven (and He cares for us even MORE than the birds!). And, just like all those beautiful tweeting birds that I could hear (but not always see) on the Greenway, I KNOW that my Father is with me (even if I don’t always see/hear/feel Him). He never leaves us, and He always has ways of assuring us that He is there when we need that assurance the most!! Amen!