Around MY town....

This morning I got out and ran for the first time in days. Heather, I know what you mean about moving really taking up time and not being able to get out. Anyways, I thought I would feel super sluggish, but I didn't, which was nice. With all the wheat trucks out on the gravel roads I've taken to running in town for safety unless it is early early in the morning. So today I ran 4 miles in town...down 5th street, up 4th street, down 3rd street, up 2nd street, down Hunt street, up Grandview, and then a mile across Main street and Sherman as I went. It was a nice little change from running the usual square route, I got to see every single one of Athena's main streets. This got me to thinking in my Life = Running . . .

My life is a town, people come in, people go out, daily people see my life. However, most people just see what is on my main streets. The reasons people come in or go out are all on those streets--wants, needs, services. . . so most people use the same common streets. With that being the case, my main streets look pretty good, most often presentable. A few people occasionally will venture onto a side street, mostly family. But, there is one person who is not happy with just strolling the main streets of my life--God. My Father in heaven knows whats really in my town. Daily, he sees my side streets and so much more. He knows whats in my dark alleys, my fenced backyards, and my tightly locked houses. God desires me to let Him into all of those places, to not just keep Him out on the main streets. Often I don't want to, because those places are dark, fenced, and tightly locked for a reason. I can't stop Him of course, sometimes He gets in despite my wishes, and the fight I put up makes it all the more painful than if I had just invited Him in. How long will I fight to keep God on my main streets? When will I finally surrender every single part of my life to Christ? When will I invite Him to go anywhere He pleases in my town? When will I trust that despite the pain He desires to do good things . . . to put lampposts in my alleys, build gates in my fences, and renovate my houses?

Do you attempt to keep God on your main streets? Do you have dark alleys, fenced backyards, and tightly locked houses which you need to let God into? Will you invite Him in and willingly surrender EVERY single part of your life?

Add: 15.6 miles