Why I Run, Day Ten: Enjoyment of the Five Senses, Plus One

Today was one of the freest, fastest, longest and most enduring days in awhile. I have the same level of exhaustion as after running a full marathon. Baby woke at 5, I was going to take a rest day. But God knows what I need quite well. Just keep on trucking!

So, I was gonna go swim but instead began meditating. I looked up and it was already 7:30. No time to waste. Got the kiddos up, fed, dressed and headed for the last day of Vacation Bible School for Big Sis. She is tired, but we had to see if the CryptoBot won our robot contest. The roughly 300 kids raised about $3K for the Boise Rescue Mission. One of my favorite local charities!

I had packed the Bob stroller. A nice $250 find. The things are quadruple that if new. So I packed up the baby and ran for two hours. Listening to music. Employing the senses by hearing my heart beat wildly, my bones cracking after a light day yesterday. Hearing the birds merrily chirping and whistling amongst the cat tails lining the banks of the New York Canal. I heard a few old geezers ding their bicycle bells and heard their kind words encouraging me, "good job, mom...running for two!". I could hear the tall grass talking to the old walnut trees.

Fleeting clouds shadowed the green belt path. I basked in the occasional rays and could use my sharp vision to observe the Boise Fire and Rescue team clearing and patrolling the river in anticipation of float season finally opening tomorrow. I saw dogs bolting after their toys, children toddling in the grass, thinking my littlest will soon be eating snow. And I drifted into thinking about the lyrics of "What a Wonderful World".

The wind swept across my back, neck and face, drying the salt seeping from each pore. Want a good detox? Run on a muggy day for a couple hours in the mountains! My feet were sweltering and my throat was screaming to down a couple more gulps of fresh, cold water. I stood and stretched halfway through, feeling every warm muscle lengthen and snap back into place. I could almost feel the debris, free radicals, damaged white blood cells and toxins exit.

Toward the last couple miles of what I'm supposing were 14 or so miles total, I kicked off my shoes and lifted the baby from her seat as she slowly woke. We dipped our feet in the icy waters that flowed from the bottom of the reservoir. The last kiss of quiet summer. Calm before the storm of college kids swarming back into town. It was ethereal.

We walked a half mile, laced up and continued on. A few more encounters with older retirees (I don't understand how other young mothers don't enjoy being outdoors with their kids!) and we shuffled back up the hill toward church. With thirty minutes to spare and time to change and wipe down (yeah, gross, just hands-wipes but it is soggy and warm out so we sweat anyway!) we took a two mile detour.

Which leads me to the sense of taste. At the end of the literal road, I looked up to notice this incredibly bountiful crop of sand hill plums. My favorite next to fresh apricots. And like most fruits except the red ones, I like them smushy. They were the most juicy, sweet, perfectly ripe items. Highlight of my run. After two hours and having sucked down the last drop of water, these were amazing.

The culminating elements were threefold today, ending with the stunning reality that no matter what, my days are divinely inspired and numbered and being positive about each one, slowly meditating on each day and on the Creator of these days, has a profound impact on their prospects and outcomes! My husband came home to greet us. A sigh. Relief for the week to end and to be a family. A call from my mother for the most delightful surprise we sent her of beautiful family photos and a book of devotional meditations. A snuggling session with my big girl while reading her the proverbs and marveling together how God has indeed returned richness to our lives.

And a final trip to some friends' home. Retirees who love kids and are kind to us and love to be hosts. A good reason to talk apologetics over sangria and bike to and fro with our wee ones. And putting my kiddos to bed, resting and reflecting. I enjoyed that fourteen or so miles. I have never felt so good in the past year or two as today. These days are Heaven-sent. These days I long to keep track of and reflect on.

I'm not necessarily conformed to the patterns of this world and want to be more and more transformed by a renewed and refreshed mind. I want to dwell on good things because the sixth sense is a sense of complete peace. Not worrying or fear or guilt or shame. Looking back and nodding, "ahah". Looking ahead with eager anticipation, but not anxiety.

Today, that run was really needed. And I cannot regret one single step!