I went for a run, it was a cool evening, I started out a little later than I had liked, but knew that I would get back to the cottage before the last rays of the sun silenced the evening sky. I was thinking about all the things of the day, and how I needed to quickly run the 3 miles and get back to help put the kids into bed. My mind was going a mile a minute, as is usual for me as I run. Then my thoughts started to turn Heavenward.
Psalm 103 was on my lips.... "Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's." I felt blessed to be running along the lake shore, to have a husband that allows me some time away for myself, and a body that is strong enough to carry me the distance.
Still running I turned the corner to begin the loop back to the cottage, I started to run past the entrance for the fisherman's pier and made a quick decision to run to the end of the pier before running back to the cottage.
I do not believe in luck, I don't believe in coincidences, I don't believe in karma, I believe in God's amazing plan, His timing, divine appointments. Well this night was a divine appointment that God set up just for me. As I ran to the end of the pier the sun was just a sliver in the sky, my favorite time of the day. I stopped to watch it slip away and as it did the sky turned all shades of orange, red, yellow, purple, blue.
I started to recite Psalm 19...."The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands."
Back to my first question, Have you ever wondered what God was thinking when he created the sunset? That night I started to ask God what he was thinking. Why did he create the sunset?
"Lyn, I created the sunset to show you how awesome I am, to show you how completely I love you, to give you a glimpse of my majesty and power. It is one of my many masterpieces. Lyn, you are another one of my masterpieces, I created you in MY image, the sunset is nothing compared to you." "OK God, the sunset is perfect beauty, it has colors and hues that radiate you! How can I compare to THAT!" "Lyn, you are my daughter, my princess, your beauty surpasses a sunset, I created you to shine for me. Do you not know that my power is made perfect in your weakness?" At this point I am so thankful that I am alone out on the pier. I had tears streaming down my face, I could barely breath because the presence of God was so close it felt like I was suffocating. All I could mutter was "yes Lord." "Give up the control Lyn, and see how strong I Am."
So the very next words out of my mouth were "OK God, lets see what you can do, because now I have been standing out here crying like a baby having a hard time breathing, it is almost dark and I have to run 2 miles back to the cottage."
I flew home, my feet felt like I was running on air, it was an amazing time. My face is always very red after I run, so no one could tell that I had been crying. No one knew that I just had an encounter with my Abba Father. I held this experience very close to my heart, not sharing it with anyone.
It is times like this that keep me out there running. Not just for the health benefits, but because God shows up to run with me. I think it is because even though my feet are running, it is the quietest time of my day. I am most open to hear his voice. You hear people talk about their prayer closets, I have my prayer runs out there on the pavement. It works, because if it didn't, God wouldn't be showing up to tell me it does!
Blessings!!
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