While talking with my daughter, Rebecca, over the weekend, she mentioned that she and a friend went out for a 7-mile run that morning. Ah. Back in the day I used to be able to do that. Not recently. My hamstrings hurt, my heel hurts. I just get tired, so I run my three and call it quits. The last two times I tried to run further, I ended up walking multiple times. I never used to do that. I’m happy I can still run, even a slow 3 miles, but I long for those long runs again.

I’m an afternoon runner, but noticed rain forecast later in the day, so I donned my running clothes and headed out after my quiet time with Jesus this morning. I’d had a day yesterday. An unsettling day. So, during my quiet time, I laid it all at his feet. In fact, I kind of threw it all up at Him like tossing a deck of cards into the air, like fifty-two-card pick-up. I tossed up all my questions, cares, and concerns, and left them in His capable hands. I hoped He would make sense of them all, pick them up, and work them out in His amazing ways.

So, on this run. I was like, “Okay, Lord, what are we gonna talk about, now? Are you gonna help me with my screen play or inspire me for a new story? Are we running 3 or 5 miles? I don’t want to have to walk again, but it’s pretty hot.  Where will you lead my thoughts? Huh? Huh?” Then it’s as if he said. “Relax! Take a deep breath and relax!” Okay, then. I relaxed my shoulders which seemed in close contact with my ears.

I remembered one thing I hadn’t included in my deck of tossed-in-the-air prayers, was my running. “Okay Lord. I give you my running too. Guide this run.” I took a deep breath as we headed out to the longer 5-mile route. I reminded Him that he needed to be my strength and my living water, because I had not brought any with me and it was June.

We ran past a friend’s house who was recovering from cancer treatments. I prayed for her complete recovery. Soon, I passed another friend’s home recovering from a recent cancer-removal surgery. I immediately covered her in prayer. I ran through a new neighborhood by the same builder building our new home, which has not received the permits yet to begin on our house. I prayed for the builder, the permits, the workers building the houses.

I soon realized the Lord was leading me on a prayer run. I prayed for many families we car-pooled with through the years, as I darted past their homes, multiple friends in a neighborhood club with us, friends I hadn’t seen in a while. I prayed for a woman I knew who got evicted from her home years ago. I prayed for a guy I work with, who used to live in our neighborhood then prayed for my place of work and the people I work with. One prayer lead to another and the next thing I know, our run was complete. No walking. No stopping. Five-miles completed for the first time in about forever, it seems.

I’m not sure why Jesus led me on a prayer-run today. I’d never been on one before and wondered if my prayers really matter? Do they make a difference at all? Maybe I needed to get my thoughts off of myself and focus more on others. Perhaps He longed to show me that He is truly capable of fixing my mess of prayers I’d thrown His way, that He can handle the small asks – as in please guide my run, which He did, so He is capable of larger asks – please stop this pandemic, these riots, the injustice in the world. Maybe He was just confirming that my tossed-up pile of prayers was indeed, in capable hands and to keep on praying. Or perhaps He was teaching me something I have yet to discover.

While I didn’t exactly run a 7-miler, like my daughter ran, I was thrilled with this escapade and revived in the process. I may never know the purpose of this run. But I know a few things for certain; He sustained me, He guided my thoughts, and showed me that He is able to handle everything I toss His way. Oh yeah, and that it feels good to pray for others.

He’s got this, my friends. Jesus will sustain us, guide us, and show us that He is totally capable if we keep trusting in Him, especially in these crazy times. Let’s keep praying, believing, pushing on with His strength, and praying for each other.

How have you seen the Lord at work in your lives recently? Please share with me below.