Mirror, mirror.

   Mid run, a run I’d done dozens of times before, I was halted by the obvious need for rest and a painful, yet all together gentle conviction. No matter how we dress it up or dress it down, masquerade it as ambition, will power, grit, triumph, or sheer determination, pride is pride. In our attempt to craft a filtered persona atop of it, we only deceive ourselves at best. At worst we deceive the village. It’s much easier to find conviction behind binoculars, but it’s only effective through the mirror on your own wall.

   I’d like to say “The only way to run 4.5 miles is one foot in front of the other.” But that simply isn’t the truth. It doesn’t matter how many times I’ve traveled the same path there will always be obstacles. Whether it be floods, steep hills, or the ebbs and flows of my energy, the obstacles will come and I will have to stop, sometimes reroute. On the trails there are only mirrors. Running is purifying and it brings the strongest athletes to humble places because it doesn’t rely solely on the muscles or cardiovascular endurance. There is a reason the marathon is still a challenge for those who run it again and again. It’s a mirror, the chance to look inward - at the mind and the soul.

   It’s not just running but in every gift we are given. Gifts and talents alike are God-given. He uses our delights to gently call us back home. Amid our sacred places of love, labor, and leisure, He allows us to see the truth within ourselves, to see Him within ourselves. Once we see Him, all that isn’t becomes clear and ready for pruning.

x courtney