Running, Wind and Fresh Mulch

I managed to get in my first 3 miler for the week! It was 51 degrees outside, but the blustery wind made it feel cooler. Fortunately, the sun was shining and I did work up somewhat of a sweat.

Today as I ran around the loop in our neighborhood, the landscaping folks were out mulching everything in sight. At first, I didn't seem to mind the scent of fresh mulch, knowing it was all a part of Spring's arrival, but half way through the run it was becoming too strong for me! At one point I was sandwiched between two mulch dump trucks, one ahead of me, and one behind me and I practically tasted the stuff.

The wind didn't seem to help matters either. Instead of blowing the mulch smell away, it seemed I was running amid a swirl of mulch particles in the air that gusted my way at the wind's will. A pair of running goggles or at least some sun glasses would've really come in handy! At times I actually ran with my eyes closed, concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other, with a quick squint to make sure I wasn't running off course or worse yet, run into a pile of mulch!

My favorite part of today's run was going up the final hill at the end of the course when suddenly I felt myself nearly swept up by a blustery force that made each step seem effortless. Running with the wind to my back at the end of my course made the run through "mulch meadow" worth it.

I am reminded that though the scent of mulch can be a bit overwhelming, I know that it does good for the ground around the trees, bushes and flower beds. It is a helpful ingredient to those things that would ultimately come back to life after the dead of winter. 1Corinthians 2:15-16 says that believers "are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life."

I suppose it is safe to say that to some who have rejected Christ at my efforts to make Him known, I smell like an overdose of mulch. Overcome by it's odor, they cannot see the need for it (Him) or the benefit of it (Him). Hence, "the aroma from death to death." Nonetheless, I am a fragrance of Christ to God, and to those who receive Christ at my feeble attempts to proclaim Him, I know the scent is sweet and savoring -"an aroma from life to life."

Thinking on these things as I ran gave me an appreciation for all the mulch those landscapers were throwing down on the ground as I passed them by. I can only wonder what God may be trying to speak to them as they scooped it up, shovel after shovel.