Day 8 What is my gospel?

What do I talk about with people?  What am I passionate about?  What has changed my life?  Not running.

Running is not my gospel.  It is only a vehicle which God uses in my life.  A vehicle for His highest.  And may I never confuse the two.

A week ago on a long run, another runner came alongside.  I asked him a few questions like “how far are you going today?”  (13 miles) and “what are you training for?’ (the ‘Lakefront’ in October.  “Oh, is that a half-marathon?” I asked him.  “No, fifty miles.”  WHAT?!?!?!)   I asked him about the running group listed on his shirt.  He mentioned running with them last May in South Africa.  South Africa in the springtime?  “The Comrades?  You ran the Comrades marathon?”  The Comrades is a 56 mile race which goes uphill one year, and down the next.  Whoa.  He told me about his training for that one.  I mean, like how do you train hills where there are none?  When he said that he had been training 85 miles a week, I asked him if he worked.  Yes, he chuckled.  “Oh, what do you do?”  I asked him boldly.  He MUMBLED that he was a pastor.  “Oh, what church?”  He acted like he didn’t hear me.  I repeated it again.  Twice.  He finally told me.  I was literally pulling it out of him, asking him about his church.

It is easy to be critical.  I mean, he is a pastor, he should have been PREACHING the gospel to me.  And then, humble pie, God reminded me of how many times I have spoken so freely of running and not of Him.  These are divine encounters, strategically on the running paths of life.  Oh, “that my soul may praise You and not be silent.”(Psalm 30.12)