Are you missing it?

"That's the thing about running: your greatest runs are rarely measured by racing success. They are moments in time when running allows you to see how wonderful life is" -Kara Goucher

Running has become a safe haven for me as I've grown up. It started out as a horrible form of punishment during the seasons I played basketball and soccer. But eventually God brought it around to become an incredible form of delight in my life.

Living and working back in So. Cal gives me the great privilege of spending time near the ocean- another source of comfort to me. When I am beside the ocean, my greatest feeling is how acutely aware I am of God's grandeur. Today, I spent a good hour running along the coast of the most beautiful ocean. (come on, I'm a biased California girl- no shame!) So I was cruising along to none other than the Biebs and a little Carly Rae "call me maybe" when I began to notice how many people were gathered at the edges of the cliffs to capture the fading glory of the sun setting. And as I noticed this, my heart did a strange mixture of things: it sank and it lifted.

My heart sank because there stood created being after created being soaking and reveling in God's manifested beauty. They were captivated, enthralled, and worshiping God. My heart sank because they were too blind to see the truth of the picture. Many of them simply did not know. I look at the sunset and see the glory of God. His manifestation of His Light with the promising kiss of eternity lingering in the distance (this is the point of my heart lifting and soaring high above the pounding of my feet on the Earth's rough terrain). Someday I look forward to the moment eternity arrives and I'm engulfed by the beauty I see off in the distance. But, the people I passed today on the boardwalk, not all of them see what I see. They just see a beautiful sunset to taken Instagram pics with.

How many people will go through this life and see the "beautiful" things and make memories with them, and try to mentally capture the moment, and not fully enjoy what all those beautiful things are a small tasteful appetizer of? Too many for me to count. Too many people will stand at the edge of the cliff thinking they see the beauty of God, and will miss out on the truth and gravity of His love because they're busy taking pictures or trying to increase the romance with their significant other, or surfing the nice waves, or all together not even viewing the sunset because of the exhaustive list of things that trump a relationship with God. (Now don't mis-perceive me here, taking pictures (I obvious do... no biggie, romance- come on! I'm a huge romantic, and surfing- luh-huh-of-it! But the imagery plays a part of how we miss God by the 'other' things in life)

Far too often, I forget to just stop, "be still and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10).

And far too often, I run past all God's other created sons and daughters as I enjoy God without extending that invitation to enjoy Him to those who don't know the truth behind something like a sunset that they're looking at. I forget to share about my God, and who He is:

"Bless the Lord, O My Soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's" (Psalm 103:2-5)
[oh fyi, the bolded words, YOU are the object receiving the action- aka no action on YOUR part]

So for all those who might find themselves estranged from the God I'm in love with, I pray you discover and research for yourself the truth to Psalm 103:2-5. Because if you take my challenge, you will discover that God created that sunset you admire on your way home for work. That he gave you the beautiful freckles on your cheeks, or the beautifully unique coppery hair gathered high in a ponytail on top of your head. He created you. And He did so with fabulous Hands, "you are fearfully and wonderfully made, [His] works are good" (Psalm 139:14). And the real kicker is, he "sent His one and only Son, that whosoever shall believe in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is NOT condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only Son."John 3:16-18

God loves you. He has a plan for you. It's going to be great, wild and full of Him- just like the sunsets. Run along and marvel.