Am I back to blogging for good? Not necessarily but I had some thoughts and some time to record them so here goes a long overdue blog entry.
This
morning I ran to West Virginia by accident. Of course I was in Maryland and
closer to the border than I realized so it was not so great a feat as it would
have been if I was still in Central Pennsylvania. I came with Eric on a bus
trip with senior citizens from a local trip. He had been asked to fill in for
his friend who was unable to drive.
I
decided to go for a run this morning along one of the bike paths that
criss-cross through Cumberland and though my intention was to keep the run
short, I could not help but keep going long enough to reach a wooden bridge
that I saw in the distance. On the right side of the trail was the canal and to
my left I saw green stagnant waters. Much to my surprise there were a number of
ducks floating in those stagnant waters. My immediate thought was, “why on
earth are they swimming in the nasty water when they is a nice canal just
across the trail?” I cannot imagine that the fishing was any better where they
were at and I can envision all of the algae dripping off of them every time
they would exit the stagnant pools.
And
of course with these thoughts came the analogies. Why do we as Christians often
settle in the stagnant pools when there is fresh, life giving water just across
the way? Why am I content with less than what God has planned for me? Why do I
not throw off everything that so easily entangles (be it algae or temptations)
and run (swim) with perseverance the race marked off for me? I see swimming in
that green pool to be a lot like hanging out in the things (attitudes,
thoughts, and actions) that do not please God. I get dirty and stinky, all because
I do not feel like taking the effort o fly over to the next body of water.
Attitudes of pride, self-righteousness, and impatience instead of having the
attitude of Christ. Selfish thoughts and worry instead of thinking about what
is pure and lovely and praiseworthy. Seeing those ducks this morning, I was
reminded that I want to be in God’s waters – His plans and His presence.
The
rest of the run was peaceful until I was startled by three deer down in the
brush. When I reached the bridge and crossed over it, I discovered that the
path led through a narrow tunnel, clearly a train tunnel in years gone by. Though
I wanted to run through and find out what lay on the other side, I refrained. There
was a tent down in the woods and not knowing who was around, I decided to stay
on the side of the river that I knew. I paused on the bridge long enough to
relish God’s creativity with His creation and to sing some of the songs on my
heart.
Later
in the day we all took a train ride up the mountain to Frostburg. The views
were lovely as we climbed above the towns and could see the fall colors on the
other mountain ridges. Even the windmills in Sommerset County, Pennsylvania
were clearly visible from our location. It has been a very good day.
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