The Wind!

I decided that since it was such a beautiful day and the kids were all asleep that I would take a long run.  Most days I average 3 miles, but I like to get in long runs or endurance runs when I can.  So, I set out for a light hearted six mile run.  I begin my run facing East, and I hear the hummmmm of the wind blowing past me.  I preatty much ignore the sound until 2 miles into my run I take a right turn and begin running South.  With this one turn my body almost completely stops.  I am now running into the craziest wind my Grant County mind can fathom.  In Grant County we have trees, lots of them!  As Jonathan would say, "This ain't Grant County, it's the Prairie Sweet Heart!".  Determined as I was to finish my run, I pressed on.  About 1/2 mile running South and I was ready to turn around.  I knew that if I turned around that the wind would give life back to my tired legs.  I could hear my high school coach saying, "Tuck your chin, drop your arms, relax and just run Rachel!". 
As I continued on my way I couldn't help but think about running in relation to my walk with Christ.  How often am I tempted to give up when situations get difficult.  How often do I just want to turn around and feel the wind at my back.  Sometimes God allows the wind to blow fiercley at us, sometimes He causes it to blow and then at other times He calms the winds of our life. 
Several verses came to mind during this struggle to endure.  I thought of James 1:2 where we are told to "Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds, b/c you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.  Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."  Then in verse 12 James tells me "Blessed is the man who perseveres under tial, b/c when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him."  And of course Phil 4:13 kept coming to mind, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me". 
So often when I'm in a trial I just hear the constant hummm of the grass beside me, the electrical lines above me popping in the wind, and I feel pain in my very bones.  It is during those times that I am the closest to my Lord, and it is during those times that I remember it is through His strength that I can do all things, not mine!  So I prayed today, "God please help me to accept difficult relationships, challenges at work, emotional battles, and just struggles in general as tools that you use to make me more mature in my faith.  Help me to live out what I know in my heart, and that is, this world is not my home." 
Thankfully, God allows me to turn around and run with the wind more often than I run against it. But, my run today helped me to focus on my eternal purpose.  I was reminded to tuck my chin (stay in God's Word), drop my arms (accept God's will and purpose for this day, without turning from it-embrace it), and just run (live one day at a time, focused on His glory). 
When I got home I asked Jonathan if the winds were blowing around 18 miles per hour.  He checked his ipone and laughed....they were 28 miles per hour with gusts of 32 miles per hour!  Who needs Grant County hills when ya have Grand Prairie winds!!!!