I love running, thanks to Coach Bob Paulson at Pacific Union College. Some days, I don't have someone to play flag football, or soccer, or basketball, or baseball with. No problem. I just lace up my running shoes and hit the track. I am forever indebted to Coach Paulson and the Pacific Union College Cross Country Team for instilling in me a passion for running.
I love running. Running with friends, or running on my own. Running in the blazing heat, or running in the torrential downpour of rain. I even once ran in the snow. LOL! Running may not be for everybody though, but if you have good knees and a decent back, put in a few miles a week, and you will see great benefits in your life.
If you run, or have run before, you know that with conditioning comes resistance. Run for 5 minutes today, and tomorrow for 10. The more you do it, the better and faster you become at it. The trick is not to stop for any reason, but to keep your stride as long as you can. 20 minutes, 30 minutes, or more if you can. I don't run with music, I just enjoy the scenery and pray as I run. So you will find it as no surprise to discover that a street sign posted on the side of a running course caught my attention today: "Tow Away. No Stopping at Any Time". No Stopping Any Time? What about a water break, or a bathroom break, or an emergency stop? I knew that sign was placed there to discourage drivers from parking their cars in the area that is meant for walking or running, but how appropriate for us this week who are beginning another week of hustle and bustle, of grinding and fighting, of surviving and thriving. I got the message.
This is a new week full of unlimited possibilities. The sky is the limit. God is with us both on the mountain tops and in the valleys. He is both God when we are above and when we are below. He is with us both when everything is going great and our spiritual life is burning with God's fire, and also when we are at rock-bottom and sense that our spiritual life has crashed and burned out. How appropriate: "Tow Away. No Stopping at Any Time". As for drivers who are tempted to stop and park where they shouldn't, so for Christians who are on the road called life. We are headed home to Heaven. We are homeward bound. It is tempting sometimes, to stop and enjoy the pleasures of this world. The entertainment, the food, the music. Yet, let us not be deceived. We are fellow travelers who need to keep running and moving every day. We can't stop. "Tow Away. No Stopping at Any Time". We may slow down because of age or health or responsibilities, but we must not stop. Keep doing good, keep giving God glory by loving Him and your neighbors more each day. Even if you have to do it slower, keep doing it in the name of Jesus. Don't stop. If you do, there is the risk of being towed away by the driver of this world (Satan), who is happy at towing those who are standing or sitting, into a dark vortex from which it is difficult to escape. But don't despair. If you have slowed down or been towed by that Dark Fallen Angel, there is one called Jesus the Christ who can, in the words of Martin Luther's famous hymn, "fell him with just one word." There is hope. There is a rescue plan in place by God to save those who have stopped living a God life.So what are you waiting for? Get moving. If you can't run yet, walk. Walk to Jesus. Move quickly. If you do, you will soon discover that you are running towards Him and your heart will beat faster, healthier, and happier every day. Soon you will run into His arms, and Together You will help to make your world a better place to live in.
Blessings!
Pastor Sal Garcia
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