God’s Gentle Reminders

God sends reminders to me on occasion. Does anyone know what I’m talking about? I’d planned to go on a longer run one afternoon as I had completely eaten too much that day. Do you know that feeling? I even left my dog at home so she wouldn’t have to run so far. Rain was forecast but I thought I could beat it.

It started sprinkling before I had even turned off my street. No problem. It’d been misty most of the day. I didn’t mind. Just after a mile, the rain increased. No matter. It washed the sweat away. Before I was two miles out, three cracks of thunder exploded in the air within a few seconds and it poured! Okay, okay. I could have toughed out my long run in the rain but maybe not in an electrical storm.

I believe in God’s divine protection but I didn’t think this was the time to test God in my stupidity for continuing on in this storm. I knew better than to seek protection under a tree so I turned toward home and kept running. At times I noticed I was the tallest item in the vicinity. At least I wasn’t a lightning rod. Oh wait a minute. Yes, I was. I wore head phones, an apple watch, and had my phone tucked into my shorts. I was loaded with power. Great. I turned off my headphones so the strike of lightning wouldn’t fry my brain and I hoped for the best.

I was a little ticked that I didn’t get my long run in. Didn’t God want me to burn those calories? But God reminded me at that moment, to let Him direct my path… all the time. I needed to be okay with this. I wondered what He was wanting me to surrender to Him this time? What was I holding on to and demanding that I control? Do I plan too much? Ummm, possibly. Do I try to control to much? Who me? Maybe. Am I holding on to things that I need to let go? What? Probably.

God is so kind in His gentle reminders. And don’t you love Him for that? He knew what was ahead if I had continued running. The storm grew worse, lightning fierce, and thunder crazy loud which I witnessed from the protection of my safe, dry house once I sloshed back home. His path is always the safest. His direction is always the best. His ways are always supreme to anything I could plan, direct or dream. And this was just a run! This wasn’t a huge life-changing decision, but I need to leave those to Him too. Why is that so hard for me to remember?

Open my heart Lord, to embrace your direction, whatever that may be. I want Your path for my life, Your goals for my life, Your will, Your plans, Your way, Jesus.

I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them. Isaiah 42:16

(I must give a shout out for the combination of my Balega socks and Brooks Pureflows. Though I was completely drenched while I was running, my feet did not feel wet. I specifically noticed that during my run. I didn’t have that squishy sock, gross wet feet, Gotta-get-my-shoes-and-socks-off-now! feeling that comes sometimes with wet shoes. Though they were both understandably wet when I removed them, they were great sloshing through the rain! Thanks Balega and Brooks!)