A Time to Heal

A few days after returning from China I found pure, unrestrained delight running through the forest at Birch Island Park. My favorite hills and trails bathed in the early morning light, and I - just chasing a thought and whispering a prayer on the wind. It was Monday, June 1 at half past 6 in the morning with clear skies, a light northerly breeze a 9 mph and 51F. Perfect. I laid down 6.97 easy miles in 1:39 hours with 1490 ascending and 1520 descending. It was good to be on trails that felt like old friends to me. The next day I found myself in Boulder, Colorado, and at 4:27 in the afternoon I decided that my day would not be complete without a 5 miler on the Boulder Flat Irons, a taste of the foothills right in and among Boulder itself. I was taking my time and just savoring the extreme beauty of the trails. It took me 1:29 hours with 1127 ascending and 1119 descending. I was a little surprised with the modest ups and downs, but then I considered that the ascending largely comes as one continuous climb and the descending as one continuous dash toward earth. In a word, a RUSH.

Here is where things get more interesting. The next day my left knee was swollen along the sides and was tender to the touch. My own analysis was that two weeks running on hard, flat pavement in China and my radical steps run on the Great Wall – pushing through regardless of knee discomforts - followed in quick succession by my Birch Island hill workout and next day by a wild run on the Flat Irons had just been too much, too fast for my 58-year-old frame. Regardless of my love of running, I figured I better back off for a week or two. It was time to heal. For whatever reasons, God was pulling me over and having me slow down just a bit. So, it would be a season of reflection and waiting on Him. When God changes our plans, there is never a downside; His ways are always perfect.

“This God - his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.” [2 Samuel 22:31, Psalm 18:30]

His way is blameless; there is no error or wrong or misstep. Perfect. Now, I just needed to remain content to wait on God. What adventures of the heart did He have planned for me? What avenues for His glory and my joy? I guess I would just have to wait and see. Then I began to think of India.