The Red Tarmac

Today I felt homesick after spending an awesome morning skyping with one of my best friends, Wendy. I loved having time to catch up with her but it made me realize how much I miss being with and around family and friends. So this afternoon, I went to the closest thing to home I could find. My feet were laced with my favorite pair of shoes; I stepped out onto the red worn tarmac, the oval as familiar and known to me as my own mind. I love its once-bouncy texture, it’s continuous oval shape where you can spend time running around and around as your thoughts spin around and around until finally both you and your thoughts can’t run anymore. In this eight-laned shape, I have more memories here than any other place. I smiled as my feet picked up pace, and I started out counter-clockwise; just as my team would every sunny afternoon at 3:20 in Santa Barbara. I didn’t realize it then, but now running alone, I miss my team. Running with a team meant having friends run with me through the painful uphills, easy downhills and the coasting flats. Running is analogous to life in so many ways; perhaps that is one of the reasons I need the sport. I find solace and time to reflect during my time spent running. And today, that is just what I needed, to be back running in an oval, pushing myself and processing life. I enjoyed the wind fighting against me as I kept going lap after lap. My mind running lap after lap of the lessons the Father has taught me, and the pruning He was doing in my life. I felt so much lightheartedness finding Him there. Finally at four laps, I hit the grass, running through the same routine I led my girls in last year. Lazy skips (when our laughter and contagious joy would infect the guys team), A, B & C skips, high knees, and lunges (when we would begin dreading the workout to come). I even completed my 10 strides with jogging in between… I couldn’t help myself- I wanted to feel familiarity and joy. I found it.

After my 3^rd stride, I noticed a boy staring at me. I had noticed him standing in the 2^nd lane right by the finish line when I was running my laps. I had smiled at him each time I passed him curious why he would stand in that lane just watching me. Jogging in from my 3^rd stride, I smiled at him again and the girl next to him with an umbrella said hello. (FYI girls use umbrellas ALL the time because they don’t like being tan- odd concept to us Cali girls who can’t ever seem to be tan enough!) I could see she had said hello, but didn’t hear it, so I pulled out my ipod earbuds. “Hi!” I replied.

            She asked, “Do you speak Chinese?”

            I gave him a regretful look and said, “no I wish I did!”

He turned to me trying to think and find words in English. Frustrated, he began to spout off Chinese to her not finding the words to express himself.

            “Are you a foreign teacher?” she asked.

            “Yes” I replied. He continued to ramble off in Chinese to the girl. I just stood smiling.

            “He would like to tell you that you are a good runner, he like how strong and energetic your running is!” While she explained what he was saying in Chinese, he pulled out his phone and said to me “Picture with you?”

            I laughed, “Of course”. He instantly shoved the phone over to the girl and put his arm around my shoulders with his right hand in the peace sign. I threw my left hand up in the peace sign and smiled! Afterward, he tried his hardest to get out his own words in English, “You are good runner!” He turned continuing in Chinese to the girl and she elaborated, “He likes watching you run because you are a good runner, very tenacious and happy to watch!”

            Wow Father. I have never been more humbled that He would use my joy for running to love this boy! He gave me an urgent desire to meet Him on the track today, and ultimately used me to show Himself to this student! He was purposeful in bringing me to the track so that I could feel His pleasure and shine this joy attracting that boy to His Father! As I continued my workout, I could not believe how much I am in the spotlight here. I have always been aware of the students staring at me wherever I go, but even when I feel alone with the Father (like this afternoon), I am not. I am on display here as a foreigner- and this is meant to be a tool to shine a man who is Love, and Hope. He is displaying Himself in me. I need to run with joy in everything I do in life- not just running in the literal sense!! It is so important that we have joy, energy, purpose and lightheartedness in our day-to-day work. Then, I will find this truth, “you are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it out on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” from Matthew. This is the perfect message from my Father today because, beginning tomorrow, I am a fulltime teacher! I am officially beginning my work here and I want to find my joy, and enthusiasm for work and relationships shining His name creating those in this school to praise my Father’s name just as the words of Matthew declare. You never known what simple day-to-day activity may shine bright enough to draw in a new brother or sister!