A really straight road

So, this morning I woke up and said to myself, "Self, it's a good day to run." And that is precisely what I did (so very Forrest Gump of me, I know). 10 miles and just under 2 hours later, I was collapsing on the couch for the rest of the morning until lunch.

I took this photo of where I ran today. That's it. Looks sort of like a middle-school art project on perspective. Just a straight piece of pavement that doesn't turn or bend in the slightest, with no perceivable end in sight.

Now, I find running kind of a bore to begin with and I could expound on my complaints on the straightness of it all, the lack of any view other than trees on one side and corn fields on the other, the lack of other human beings sweating it out on the trail with me, etc. And those were my initial reactions. However, very quickly I chose to look at this from a more positive "perspective." It was straight. No need to worry about getting lost or making some wrong turn. It was in the middle of farm land. No need to worry about shady areas of town. It was lonely. No need to worry about showing my ugly sweaty body pounding the pavement. It also made for a great opportunity to get to the end of myself and get alone with God.

Solitude is often something we tend to forget about in our daily lives, especially with all the distractions now actively vying for our attention. Now don't get me wrong; if you know me, you know I am an extrovert by nature and get strength from being with people. And solitude focused on brooding over yourself is no good either. But to spend time utterly uninterrupted with the Lord, glorifying Him in who He is and what He has, is, and will do in your life is time well spent. Joy in the Lord in its rawest sense. Solitude uniquely does this in a way that normal quiet times can't. I'm a big fan of silence and solitude, the longer the better.

Let me encourage you to get out there and go get lonely with God.

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