God on the Greenway: Robins

Cloudy. Cool. Rainy. Perfect running weather! I was excited to receive such a blessing as I drove to the Greenway today. Not only was the weather great, but the overall mood was great! Running on the Greenway is like entering Narnia or something. It’s just peaceful and beautiful. In fact, instead of my regular upbeat playlist, I decided to listen to the Narnia soundtrack on my iPod (the soundtrack from the first movie).

The run was great! And, as always, the journey was wonderful!! I saw some beautifully colored ducks in the water (and as they chased each other as they flew over the river). I even saw a Great Blue Heron today! I can’t remember the last time I saw that! Wow!! I just love these precious gifts from God! I always wonder what surprises I am going to see each time!!

I love how each run is new and different. This one was no exception. This time, it was a little cool (which I love!) but the one drawback was that I needed a jacket of some sort. I opted for my Jars of Clay hoodie. ;) Needless to say, running isn’t as fun when you feel like you are weighted down with a hoodie and a water bottle. Thinking about that reminded me of just how much of a difference a few pounds make! I thought about how my runs would get easier the more “hoodies” I get rid of. ;) Right now, I am wearing a fifty pound hoodie - but it will only get lighter. ;)

As I pressed onward to the end of the two miles, I looked at my heart rate monitor. I only had about four minutes to go (that is, if I made it to the end of the trail in my standard 25 minutes). I remember thinking, “I’m never going to make it.” That’s right, I actually thought that! I caught myself and I was like, “says who?!” I rejected that thought right then and there. After all, who’s to say whether I will or won’t? There was no way I could know that!! All I KNEW is that I was giving it my best. I wouldn’t KNOW if I met or beat 25 minutes UNTIL I reached the end!! And you know what, I DID make it!! In fact, I believe it was in slightly under 25. ;) I made a mental note: I won’t let Satan, myself, or anyone tell me what I can and can’t do!! ;)

These past few times I have been running, I have been wanting to just turn around and run the last two (with no rest inbetween). However, it hasn’t been happening that way. I’m an “all or nothing/black & white” kind of person a lot of times. So, “resting” like that bothers me a tad. ;) Yet, I did it because I knew I needed it. I had nearly forgotten the fact that I hadn’t run in a few days. For some reason, my body is ridiculously forgetful. It doesn’t get “used to” exercises very easily. That’s why I have to stay extremely consistent with my exercise. God keeps reminding me to take it easy, have balance, and force myself not to be “all or nothing“ all the time. After all, it‘s not like I have to prove anything. I have accomplished a lot already. I don‘t have to be in constant competition against myself. I remember thinking before the run about doing the whole four; but I had to stop myself and say: “Just focus on the two. You can think about the next two when you get there.” I think that’s a good way to go about it. Breaking your goals down into smaller ones helps you achieve more when you just focus on a little at a time.

After my rest, I prepared to start the run back. It was then that I saw a robin. “Big deal, a robin.” Yeah, that’s what I always think too! And why is that? It’s because they’re common and ordinary. Robins don’t have the rareness that other birds have. We see them all the time and don’t think twice about it. I‘ve been becoming increasingly bothered by that “common/ordinary” thought as I have been observing God’s creation on these runs. I can (and should) appreciate God’s little robins just like I can the other things He gives me. So, I decided to watch the robin. Is it just me, or do they always seem so “thoughtful”? They always seem so aware, and they just remain “present” in their surroundings. That’s how this one was. He was just perched and looking about a little. He seemed carefree and content.

I thought about that as I started to run again. The robin embodied the whole mood of the run: peace and contentment. Even with the hoodie, and the water bottle, I could still enjoy the peace of creation and the instrumental soundtrack I was listening to. Even the endless obstacles of goose poop on the trail didn’t bother me as much anymore. I wanted to be carefree too; not letting any kind of crap (whether literally or figuratively) hinder the beauty of the experience I was having. Yet, how often do we let “crap” spoil our moods?

The robin experience got even richer than that as I observed one building a nest later on. I don’t think I have ever watched a bird building their home before. It was great!! The robin was doing what he was made to do. He sings, flies, and builds a home to nurture and comfort his young. Maybe that’s “common” or “ordinary” to us, but in all actuality, is it? What’s so common about purpose? Beyond that, what is common about HUMAN purpose? We are all individuals. We all have purpose! You and I are NOT just “common and ordinary” like that robin. Far from it, we are EXTRAORDINARY!! We are made in God’s image and we share in an inheritance with His Son! That’s special! Yet, we are so often unaware of how uniquely gifted and blessed we are. We compare ourselves to other “birds” that we think are prettier or more functional. Why? What does it matter? Don’t we all serve a purpose? Do the birds lament and worry about whether they are as good as a cardinal, blue jay, robin, etc? How ridiculous it would be to have a world full of animals who worry and compare themselves to each other. How much sillier is it that we as the greater and superior species can‘t be content in the roles we were created to fill! The birds are content and they go about their business; functioning as they were created to function. Why can’t WE take a lesson from that; WE who are worth more than many sparrows and that are all one body made to function together (Matthew 10:31, 1 Corinthians 12:14-31).

I thought about these things as I finished up my run (which had become a walk during the last half mile - I felt led to do so). I hadn’t wanted to slow down, but I felt like God was telling me to stop. After my experience with the untied shoes a while back, I was reminded about how important it was to listen. I had had to stop earlier in the run as well when I started coughing and gagging so badly (I don’t know if I inhaled one of those cottonwood tree fuzzies or what!). I wanted to press through, but I was having a pretty bad episode (thought I was going to throw up and/or pass out). God gently reminded me, “Remember…..loose ends.” Got to take my cues from my personal trainer! So, “all or nothing girl” slowed down lol. Maybe it was the primer I needed to be obedient to the slow down during that last half-mile. I’m glad, because just as I almost reached the end, I saw two Canadian geese on the path with three little ducklings. It was so cute! I don’t remember the last time I seen ducklings like that! I was glad that I was already walking, because I didn’t want to spook them or anything. Yet, as slow and nice as I was going (and they were in the grass beside the path by now) they hissed at me as I started to walk by. Geez, heaven forbid I even LOOK at them or be in the same space!! Obviously, they are forgetting their place in the hierarchy!! God said in Genesis 1:28 that we rule!! :P I ventured closer to the grass on the other side of the path to show them that I wasn’t going to come near them and their babies. I found it annoying that I was the one that had to tip toe around THEM! It’s a people trail, not a goose trail! They were treading on MY territory, not vice versa. It reminded me of how, once again, we forget who we are. We go into “common/ordinary” mode again and we end up yielding to things that have no business taking authority over us. Jesus gave us power and authority (Luke 10:19-20). Therefore, in Jesus name, we can drive out Satan (and whatever/whomever he uses) from our “territory.” They have no business being there trying to take over. The only power they have is what we allow them to have over us.

This is not to say that I would voluntarily duke it out with a goose (even though a part of me would LOVE to wring that scrawny gooseneck!). There’s a time and place for everything. That wasn’t a battle worth fighting; especially in front of the cute and innocent ducklings. ;) I don’t think a goose would understand my rebuke! LOL Likewise, there are other kind of “geese” that don’t understand either. That’s what the Holy Spirit is there for! He’ll help you make the right move (and the move I was to make was planned for me - by leading me to slow down and give the geese their “space”). It pays off to listen to God. ;)

Grace and peace to all of you!! Remember, you are more than common and ordinary! You are unique, special, and made in the image of God!! Power and authority is given to you in Christ! Satan and his schemes cannot prevail against you!! Through the strength of Christ, you can do all things (Philippians 4:13). God bless you all!!

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!