Be Still and Know

I often think of running as a metaphor for life. There are lessons to learn when it's just you, God, and the pavement. This was so true a couple of weeks after my dad passed away, when I went out for a much needed run. (I should tell you that I can easily become overheated while running, even in cold temperatures, so I have to be careful.) It was a crisp December morning, about 40 degrees. I was missing my dad terribly and struggling deeply in my soul, and I was running uphill. Truth be told, I very much dislike the uphill part of the run, but it is part of the run. Metaphor for life: Running uphill is like moving though grief. It's part of life. (Replace the word grief with any struggle you face right now.) It doesn't feel good. It can tax a person to the limit. But it can be done. As that uphill run became especially challenging (painful even), I knew I'd really rather just flop down on the grass beside the sidewalk and catch my breath. But sometimes a person must keep going, you know.Metaphor for life: Lean into it and power through. As I came to the top of the hill and turned the corner and my path leveled out, I realized I was beginning to feel overheated. Even with my best intentions, I knew I had to give myself permission to walk a few steps and cool down. I told myself that walking was acceptable, though, because even though I was going slower, I would keep going and would not stop. Metaphor for life: Just keep going. After several steps, I realized that if I did  not give myself permission to sit down, I would be sick. As much as I did not want to do it, I sat down on the sidewalk, my back to the street, my feet in the gravel. I breathed deeply and pressed my palms firmly onto the cold pavement, trying to cool down and regain my composure. But sitting did not fit my metaphor! Feeling sick and somewhat defeated, I bowed my head and looked down, and there between my running shoes was a piece of a branch in the perfect shape of a cross. I took it as a little gift from God. Ahhh... Okay, I get it now, I told myself... Here is the metaphor for my life in this moment. Sometimes you can no longer power through. Sometimes, even though it may be awful, you must stop and let the fullness of what you are experiencing wash over you and you must feel it completely, or it will be worse later. Sometimes you must be still... Be still and know. Know that as much as you hurt, there are gifts and blessings in this moment. Know that God is with you on your journey, step by step and breath by breath. Know that you will get up and run again, but right now, it is wise to be still and lean on a Power that is bigger than yourself and let it tend to your soul. Metaphor for life: For right now, just be still and know...
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