Journey to Bethlehem: Day 1
So today one of my Facebook friends issued a challenge to take the 80 mile journey to Bethlehem in the days leading up to Christmas, and I decided to take her up on it. But in an effort to make it more than simply motivation to get back into my running (even though that is also a good thing), I want to make sure I am thinking about what Mary and Joseph went through on the journey to the arrival of their baby boy.
So the beginning. As I thought about this challenge this afternoon before I committed to it (by telling my roommate who is also my running buddy - there's no coming back from that!), it felt a little overwhelming. My schedule is kind of crazy and I have not been running very consistently lately. In fact, tonight's run was my first since Thanksgiving. So averaging about 4 miles a day between now and Christmas seems like A LOT.
But then I think about how overwhelming it must have been for Mary and Joseph. I mean in the midst of all the rest of the craziness of preparing for a baby (who also happened to be the son of God), they must add a journey to Bethlehem to their schedule. Plus I can only imagine how overwhelming it must have been to have God use you in that way.
One of my favorite Christmas songs each year is Breath of Heaven, and I think it captures how it feels when God asks something bigger than what you think you can do.
My favorite section of the song is "Do you wonder as you watch my face if a wiser one should have had my place? But I offer all I am for the mercy of your plan." And that is what God asks of us - he doesn't call us because we are able, but rather because we are willing. So this Advent as I journey toward Bethlehem, I strive to seek the ways God is calling me out of my comfort zone. I seek to allow the interruption of the Christ child into the chaos that is my life.
And I remind myself that every journey, no matter how long, or how scary, begins with a single step.
As for my 80 miles, I'm 5 miles in, 75 to go...
So the beginning. As I thought about this challenge this afternoon before I committed to it (by telling my roommate who is also my running buddy - there's no coming back from that!), it felt a little overwhelming. My schedule is kind of crazy and I have not been running very consistently lately. In fact, tonight's run was my first since Thanksgiving. So averaging about 4 miles a day between now and Christmas seems like A LOT.
But then I think about how overwhelming it must have been for Mary and Joseph. I mean in the midst of all the rest of the craziness of preparing for a baby (who also happened to be the son of God), they must add a journey to Bethlehem to their schedule. Plus I can only imagine how overwhelming it must have been to have God use you in that way.
One of my favorite Christmas songs each year is Breath of Heaven, and I think it captures how it feels when God asks something bigger than what you think you can do.
My favorite section of the song is "Do you wonder as you watch my face if a wiser one should have had my place? But I offer all I am for the mercy of your plan." And that is what God asks of us - he doesn't call us because we are able, but rather because we are willing. So this Advent as I journey toward Bethlehem, I strive to seek the ways God is calling me out of my comfort zone. I seek to allow the interruption of the Christ child into the chaos that is my life.
And I remind myself that every journey, no matter how long, or how scary, begins with a single step.
As for my 80 miles, I'm 5 miles in, 75 to go...
Comments
Post a Comment