Catch me if you can!

This morning, after stepping on the dreaded scales at 6 a.m., I suddenly felt a strong compulsion to get a little more focused in the area of nutrition and exercise. Everyone who knows me is fully aware that this is a constant battle for me, but this morning, while taking a shower, I thought it might be a good idea to act on my new-found initiative and stop by the walking track I pass EVERY DAY on my way to work and give it a whirl or two. So, off I went.

I walked about 1/4 of the way around the track and quickly began thinking, "what are you doing here? You need to get to work. You'll never follow through anyway." Almost immediately, though, I felt the Lord speak to my heart "you are exactly where I want you to be - just listen to me." Now, don't misunderstand me -I did not hear an audible voice. And, I did proceed to walk 1.5 miles in the meantime. But, the Holy Spirit did direct my thoughts back to my First Love. It was in the first curve of the track that I was able to get truly focused on prayer - not only talking to Him, but listening also. During my conversational prayer time with Him, I asked Him, "what do you want to say? What do I need to hear today?" I began meditating on His word and the Scripture that kept coming to my mind was Hebrews 12:1 (NKJV) "...let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us..." I wasn't running - just walking around the track at the local park. Why would He bring this Scripture to my remembrance? Well, needless to say, I have pondered it all day long. I read in a book by R.A. Torrey that it can often be helpful to not only study scriptural context, biographical sketches and topic studies, but that it can also be helpful to study EACH and EVERY word in a particular Scriptural reference to grasp the full meaning. All day, the Lord has brought this back to me over and over and each time I got more and more out of it. I didn't have to read a devotional book. I didn't have to study a commentary. I didn't have to talk with my pastor. I just let the Word feed me.

Here is what I feel God was saying to me through His Word:

-Run - Don't walk, run. Run with passion. Run with desire. Don't mosey - get after it! Don't live in fear - chase it - RUN, baby, RUN!!!
-Run the race - There is a finish line and a prize. Don't forget there are those waiting to welcome you when you finish. For me, this is is a particularly special reminder.
-The race was "set." It is not a random race. If something is set, someone had to set it, right? God set the race before us. He is intimately familiar with the twists and turns my race will take.
-The race was set "before" you. Not behind you - before you. It does no good in our Christian RUN (not walk) to turn and run backwards - revisiting the past, reliving the past, running in circles. If you keep doing things the same way, you are going to keep getting the same things you've been gettin'. You will wander in the wilderness and never cross over.
-The race was set before "you." It is my race - not Tracey's race, not my parent's race, not Rachel's race, not Michelle's race - Melisa's race. It was set before me! God chose the race for me to run. He knows my capabilities because He gave them to me. He knows my dreams because He created me.

The Lord continues to allow me to dream big dreams for my future and the future of my husband and children. I believe they are dreams that God has placed deep within my being. I have decided to run!

Catch me if you can!