Running Grateful

This morning I woke up and chose to run on the treadmill. It was pretty cold outside and my wife needed to leave early as she was on worship team at our church. I guess it is nice to have a parent at home on a cold morning if the kids need something.

I started on the treadmill and just could not bring myself to get up to a run. I just felt yucky. I began with a brisk 4mph walk and thought that after I warmed up I would be able to run at a 6mph pace. I never got there. I went about 3/4 mile and tried to run..couldn't do it. At mile 1.75 my wife came to the basement and said that she needed to leave but that the car was iced over. That was the end of my "running" for the day. You should have seen me outside in the snow with the temperature below 20 degrees with running shorts and a winter jacket on trying to clean off my wife's car. Funny. Nice looking legs though.

I could complain about not feeling well, not being able to get into a rhythm, being cut short to go outside in the cold, but I will not. All I could think of was....Thank you.

I am so thankful for being able to run. For being able to help my wife. For the chance to care for my children. Thank you. I feel gratitude for the experiences I have had, disappointment at my last race, running in the snow, laughing with my children, getting angry when my kiddos have a bad day at school. Thank you.

All I could think of as I tried to run, was the many blessings God has given me. Yes even trials can be blessings. A lot of the time I don't want the bad stuff to bless me. I would rather gripe about it or just wallow in my own miserableness. But he teaches me so much in the midst of struggle and suffering.

This week I am going to try to run gratefully. Thanking him as I go. Counting my many blessings. Letting him remind me of how much he loves me. Maybe if I do that, I will actually get up on time. Thanking him will be a great reason to wake up early and run.