While A Student

While a student at Arizona State University, I used to run at the track every morning before the sun rose. At that time in my life, I was a daily runner and loved watching the sun rise over the palm trees. Most mornings, I ran 10 - 15 miles. Between miles 5 and 7, everything in my body would hurt and scream at me to stop running. Pushing through those painful miles took all of my mental and physical strength. Self-doubt would challenge me into believing that I could not make it around the track one more time. 

During those miles, almost every step hurt. 

But 

I knew what was on the other side of those miles. 

And 

That was worth the fight through the runner's wall. 

Every morning I broke through the most challenging miles, I experienced the freedom within my body of increased power moving me around the track. It was during these miles I would run with the rising sun. 

I've often thought back on that time in my life as God's promise on my journey of faith. From the getting out of bed in the dark of the morning to the pain of the 5th mile to the joy of the sun rise, God is with me. 

God is with me. 

In my life, those words are more than a scripture post or a meme. 

Long ago I learned that God helps me to grow both my faith and my faithfulness. 

Today, as my family celebrates the rising of the Son, my prayer for our world is that we stay strong through the hard miles and help one another knowing that in doing so we create a better place for all.