Running, running, running.

On my way to work this morning, I saw something that really impressed me. There is this man that jogs up and down a road that I drive on to get to and from work. (Baxter Road for those that know.) I see him almost every day, and it occurred to me a few weeks ago that this seems odd, especially since sometimes it’s in the morning that I see him and sometimes it’s afternoon. Occasionally, it’s both.

Does this guy just run all day? Is his endurance world-record setting? Is he a marathon runner? Is he a cyborg from another planet sent to dominate all the running events in the 2012 Olympics?

One of the things about this guy is that he appears to be in his late middle-ages. I’d guess in his mid to late fifties. There is certainly nothing odd about people that age exercising. I know a couple around that age that are half the couple they used to be due to the exercising they have been doing! I guess what really got me this morning is that it was raining. Not pouring-down, torrential rain, but steady, and enough to make me want to just call it a day already, and sit inside in front of the TV all day, doing nothing productive. (Hey, I’m here, aren’t I? I didn’t actually do that.)

In spite of what some would use as an excuse to skip out on the exercise, this man just bundled up, and continued his run. His commitment to the running came through, no matter what the environment around him provided.

The parallel to that, which we all knew was coming, is that as followers of Christ, we need to have the same kind of commitment to our relationship with Him. There will be PLENTY of distractions in this world that we could use as excuses to fall away and not be committed. There will be several opportunities each day to simply conform to the world and not stand out for Jesus. Temptation lurks around more corners than we want to admit giving us a chance to give in to sin, and to ignore what God’s Word tells us is His standard that we are asked to uphold.

Are we going to let a little rain in our life keep us from our commitment? I know I have, and I’m ashamed of it. What’s a little water? I shower in it every day, why not run in it as well? Beyond that, I accept God’s blessings and what He chooses to give me many times. Why do I hold on so tightly and refuse to give my life back to Him in spite of the environment around me? Let’s lace up!