For Starters

So, I had this thought several months ago of creating a Christian blog, where what would be discussed is just someone's walk with the Lord and their daily struggles. At the time, I didn't feel like I was supposed to have one, and even now I am not sure. I decided to create this on a whim today, but the thought of creating one has been on my mind periodically for some time. My title "Diaries of a Runner" came to me while I was running and because God has shown and talked to me so much on my runs. I remember thinking to myself "That is such an awesome idea" and at the moment I felt pretty passionate about it! If you don't know me well and you are reading this, you will find that I try to be pretty open and vulnerable with what I go through, but at the same time I mind other's and my privacy.

Currently, God has been bringing up a lot in my life, although I have not been directly dealing with it through Him. Lately, He's been highlighting my selfishness and pride that get in the way of my relationships and loving others. It's been really hard to let some of this stuff go, but I know He will take care of me and be there always as long as I reach out to him.

Just the past Tuesday, I was going on my daily run and, as I was running I got to have the rare experience of running in the snow. This was really neat as I have never ran in the snow. As I was running, I was thinking what was going on in my life and my thoughts are almost always geared toward God. However, I started to notice that snowflakes would ever so often just fall into my mouth (I have a tendency to breathe my mouth slightly open when I run). Somehow this started leading to more thoughts about snowflakes and God. First I thought about how as a child, we often tend to open our mouths and try to catch every single snowflake and delight in catching them. As adults, this no longer happens and we don't take as much delight in the snow or catching falling snowflakes. I also thought about how rare snowflakes are and how special and precious they are; each are like little gifts or blessings. When thinking about this in relating it to God, I felt He was showing me that He is always throwing blessings and gifts our way. They could be as subtle as words of encouragement, comfort, words of wisdom or as tangible as an unexpected check in the mail, an answered prayer. As children, we are so willing to receive what God has to give us that we stand trying to catch everyone He throws our way, we want Him and what He has for us so much. But, sometimes, as we become older, we take advantage of the snowflakes and maybe even ignore them. Every once in awhile the just show up in our lives and we consume it, but then ignore them again. I really felt that God was showing me that He wants to give us rare unique, and precious gifts and blessings like snowflakes and that we should be waiting like children to catch them as the fall down to us and eager to accept them.

I pray for you my friend that you will stand and wait to catch the snowflakes that come your way!

In Christ's Love,

Kara