When I was thinking of an introduction to this series I kept coming back to JOURNEY NEAR. Journey near God. Journey to be close to God. Journey to know Him. Journey to thank Him, honor Him, and praise Him. And much like our faith journeys, running is a journey; a journey of self-awareness, self-discovery, and self-love. And when we take the context of journey in our running – the movement of the very bodies God gave us – we can see how intrinsically united we are to Him! Christ had a passionate journey that ultimately led to the world’s salvation. And similarly, our journey here on earth is for our own salvation so that we may have eternal life with Him.

So perhaps when we run what we’re really saying is: “Lord, be near. Help me discover who I am as Your child. Work in me Lord. Help me become who I am called to be. Use me as an instrument of Your love. Help me love myself and others as You love us. As sweat drips down my brow, I am reminded that sweat too dripped off Your brow; help me strengthen my relationship with You. Use me and my running Lord, to strength my trust in You. Lord be near; journey with me.”

Rest assured, when I started running 19 years ago as a little girl, I didn’t know or even think that my running would bring me closer to God; but through the years, running has done just that, and what a blessing! I look forward to sharing this series as I dive into the spiritual side of running, how it has strengthened my faith, and how you too can find God in running.