Resting, Not Running

Another week has gone by without running. It has now been 16 days since my last run. I am resting and trying to be patient. I had some blood work test results back and all was fine. I am relieved. I am no longer taking antibiotics. I took them for 12 days.

While I've been resting it has helped that the weather for the most part has remained pretty cold outside. Although it has warmed up yesterday and today. I miss running more when it is beautiful outside and especially if I see a runner outside. I watch them as I drive by and think how much I can't wait to be out there too!

2006 has had a bumpy running start. But I know it will still be a good year! If fact, one day while running in the first couple weeks in January, I stumbled across a shiney large blue numeric piece of confetti on the ground. As I stepped over it, I realized it was the numbers 2-0- 0-6! It was the year, 2006 in confetti form. I picked it up and put it in my jacket pocket. It now is in my Bible and it reminds me to believe God for great things this year. Great things for my family, for my church, for our church's youth ministry - Teens For Christ, for our church's school, for the outreach ministry of El Shaddai Ranch, for my friends, and for me personally. My God is a BIG God and He wants me to dream big and believe big. As soon as I picked that 2006 piece of confetti off the ground, that is what the Lord spoke to me.

Being sick and not being able to run has been a discouragement to me. I feel like it's caused me to waver in God's encouragement to me to believe BIG. Perhaps it could be a test? It is never about external circumstances, though it seems they sure have a way of dictating our state of well-being, for the better or for the worse. Rather, it is always about a God who is so faithful and worthy of all our trust, despite our circumstances. God has not changed in the past 16 days I have not been able to run. He's still as HUGE as He will ever be! So, with that then, 2006 will still be an awesome year, even if it's begun with more resting days than running days.