Daily Devotionals
Wednesday, May 8, 2024 (Paula)
Well, this is it! We’ve finally made it to the week of our half marathon. I have a couple more short runs to fit in this week and then Saturday is the big day!
I’ll be joining my husband, my son, and his girlfriend on this multi-mile adventure.
What the smoke ever possessed me to sign up for this??
I seem to have forgotten!
In all seriousness though, I have been reflecting on the hours and miles of training over the past months. It hasn’t been all bad! It’s proved to be much more than sore muscles, lactic acid, messed up toes, and sciatica pain.
You see, I can’t keep up to the pace of my hubby, so all my training has been…
Solo.
Sans friends.
Unaccompanied.
Companionless.
But!
I DO know this.
I have never run alone.
Not once.
Honestly, the biggest benefit of all this schlepping around -has been my time alone with God on the trail.
These past weeks I have prayed and processed through a lot of challenging thoughts and circumstances. Some have been personal, some have been regarding loved ones, all have been a bit heavy, to be honest.
Running has allowed an emotional release and a spiritual re-awakening process. God has been with me! He has been using it to teach me, talk to me, convict me, coach me, encourage me, and carry me.
Like I said,
I never run alone.
I never WALK alone, either! For that matter, I never crawl alone, cry alone, sigh alone, hurt alone, grieve alone, question alone—
And neither do you.
It’s a simple but powerful truth. God is with us.
Not just when we FEEL Him. Not just when we acknowledge Him. He is omnipresent (always present).
Without losing himself, God can fully (not partly)give himself to every creature relationally, uniquely, and infinitely. Holy Smokes.
Read that again.
Fully.
Uniquely.
Infinitely.
He never lends pieces of himself to us. He is FULLY present all the time.
That knowledge should change us!
His presence has convicted me in areas where I need to make amends. His presence has revealed tough memories I need to let go of. His presence has invited me to bring hurts to him to heal.
His presence has also led me to see blessings that I can praise him for, and given me strength for things I didn’t think I could ever do.
I never run alone.
I love reading Psalm 139 aloud. It reminds me of His presence in the regular and mundane days of life. When my mom was on hospice, we had a routine. Whenever I was able to be in town, I would get the honor of being her nurse. I would get her up in the morning, get her dressed and ready for the day, feed her, bring her outside or the gazebo in her wheelchair for fresh air. I would read Psalm 139 aloud to remind my mom and myself - that God was there through it all. That was comforting every night I got to tuck her in.
We weren’t alone.
Psalm 139:
“Oh Lord, you have searched me, and you know me. You know when I sit, and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out in my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before word is on my tongue, you know it completely oh Lord. You tuck me in, behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from your spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say “surely the darkness will hide me in the light become night around me“ even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness, is as light to you. You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother‘s womb...” Psalm 139: 1-13
and so it goes.
He is with us.
He knows us.
He sees us.
He will never abandon us!
Remember that as you go about your day today, sweet sister!
We never run alone!
Better Together,
Paula
I’ll be joining my husband, my son, and his girlfriend on this multi-mile adventure.
What the smoke ever possessed me to sign up for this??
I seem to have forgotten!In all seriousness though, I have been reflecting on the hours and miles of training over the past months. It hasn’t been all bad! It’s proved to be much more than sore muscles, lactic acid, messed up toes, and sciatica pain.
You see, I can’t keep up to the pace of my hubby, so all my training has been…
Solo.
Sans friends.
Unaccompanied.
Companionless.
But!
I DO know this.
I have never run alone.
Not once.
Honestly, the biggest benefit of all this schlepping around -has been my time alone with God on the trail.
These past weeks I have prayed and processed through a lot of challenging thoughts and circumstances. Some have been personal, some have been regarding loved ones, all have been a bit heavy, to be honest.
Running has allowed an emotional release and a spiritual re-awakening process. God has been with me! He has been using it to teach me, talk to me, convict me, coach me, encourage me, and carry me.
Like I said,
I never run alone.
I never WALK alone, either! For that matter, I never crawl alone, cry alone, sigh alone, hurt alone, grieve alone, question alone—
And neither do you.
It’s a simple but powerful truth. God is with us.
Not just when we FEEL Him. Not just when we acknowledge Him. He is omnipresent (always present).
Without losing himself, God can fully (not partly)give himself to every creature relationally, uniquely, and infinitely. Holy Smokes.
Read that again.
Fully.
Uniquely.
Infinitely.
He never lends pieces of himself to us. He is FULLY present all the time.
That knowledge should change us!
His presence has convicted me in areas where I need to make amends. His presence has revealed tough memories I need to let go of. His presence has invited me to bring hurts to him to heal.
His presence has also led me to see blessings that I can praise him for, and given me strength for things I didn’t think I could ever do.
I never run alone.
I love reading Psalm 139 aloud. It reminds me of His presence in the regular and mundane days of life. When my mom was on hospice, we had a routine. Whenever I was able to be in town, I would get the honor of being her nurse. I would get her up in the morning, get her dressed and ready for the day, feed her, bring her outside or the gazebo in her wheelchair for fresh air. I would read Psalm 139 aloud to remind my mom and myself - that God was there through it all. That was comforting every night I got to tuck her in.
We weren’t alone.
Psalm 139:
“Oh Lord, you have searched me, and you know me. You know when I sit, and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out in my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before word is on my tongue, you know it completely oh Lord. You tuck me in, behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from your spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say “surely the darkness will hide me in the light become night around me“ even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness, is as light to you. You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother‘s womb...” Psalm 139: 1-13
and so it goes.
He is with us.
He knows us.
He sees us.
He will never abandon us!
Remember that as you go about your day today, sweet sister!
We never run alone!
Better Together,
Paula
