Day 7 - As promised, I got up early to do my long run. I decided to just stay in the neighborhood today. After three miles I was wiped and wanted to stop. I convinced myself that I would just do one more lap, then I would stop. I used different landmarks to mark my walk/run splits. On lap 6, I ran further than I ever have. So, I ran another lap, and ran even further, by lap 9 I was done. I drank my water and just walked. When I realized that I only had one lap left, I completed it. It was nice to finish the 6 miles. My plan called for 9 miles today, but I only did 6.2. All in all, I ran over 17 miles this week. Not a bad start.
This morning in church, we welcomed some ladies from Teen Challenge. This is a program that helps people of all ages overcome addictions to drugs, alcohol, narcotics, etc. by pointing them to Jesus. These ladies shared their stories of pain and addiction and how they were saved, how they are now sober and are telling others of God's grace and mercy towards them. It is very powerful to see how lives can be changed.
Today, however, was my turn to be grumpy. I tend to have a very short fuse the day before trial. The reason is because I get nervous about having to perform, having so much resting on my shoulders. In other words, I worry. Before I could get a good night sleep, I had a picnic to attend. My aunts lives on a horse farm and every summer she invites all of us cousins and our kids to come down. There are seven kids in all and they all get to go riding on the horses. It's really fun to see them, and my aunt remarked that she sometimes forgets how excited kids can be who are not used to being around horses all the time. It was great to visit with family and new friends.
The lunch was typical picnic food. I monitored my portions and logged all my food. At the end of the day, I was still within my calorie count. And I got to enjoy some potato salad too.
Day 7 in my reading log is all about taking matters into your own hands. God promised Abraham and Sarah a child even though they were almost 100 and 90 years old respectively. Sarah did not believe that she would be a mother at 90 years old, so she had her husband take her servant as a second wife and they conceived a child. Although this child, Ishmael, was blessed by God and promised that he will be the father of twelve princes, this was not God's original command. Many believe that Ishmael is the father of the Arab nations. The New Testament reading addresses several key areas such as loving your enemies, giving to the needy, praying, fasting and refraining from loving money. These areas are ripe for taking matters into our own hands.
Mark and I joke about the "ching-ching-ching" need. This came from a story our Assistant Pastor told about some people giving in the synagogues. He asked us to imagine someone walking into the synagogue with a large sack of coins. He then asked us to imagine this person really exaggerating how heavy his sacks of coins were, how slowly he would have walked to the front making sure to catch the attention of others. And he asked us to imagine how loud it would be when he dumped the coins into a collection bin in the front. How the trumpets would sound at the donation. This is where the "ching - ching - ching" sound comes from. It represents how some people want others to notice what and when they are giving to others. Now, this doesn't mean that we can't exchange presents, or never sign a card. But with certain giving (to the needy) to do so in secret, so God will see it and reward you.
I often have the "ching-ching-ching" need when I make the sports videos for the kids and I'm about to do it here. I take photos during the season, then spend hours putting it together, insuring that each child has about the same number of photos, that the music matches and that each kid has their own DVD, as a gift at the end of the season. I confess that I wait for the e-mails or calls to come in to say "thank you" or "great job" or something even more complimentary. I've learned that if I'm doing it for the praise, its for the wrong reason. I have taken matters into my own hands.
"Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven." Matthew 6:1.
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