Journeys on Wheatridge Road

This article was originally printed in "Spilt Beans," a literary magazine published in Enid, Oklahoma where we were stationed withe the military.  I have since completed 2 half-marathons and one 25K (15.5 miles)!  I'm hoping to train for another soon.

In training for a half marathon, most Saturdays landed me on a country road just outside of town.  Many times, I struggled to finish and wanted to give up.  A couple occasions included a desperate cell phone call to my husband to come pick me up.  But the lessons I learned on those sometimes grueling days were worth the time and sacrifice.  My mantra became similar to the Nemo character, Dory, who said “Just Keep Swimming.”  I adapted mine to say: “Just Keep Running!”     

One Saturday evening when I began my run, the sun was setting into a purple hue to the west.  As I looked across the open, stretching plains, black cows dotted the horizon like specks of dust.  Comparing myself to those hundreds of cows, I began to think about how small I really am in God’s vast creation.  And yet, God cares not only about me and those cows, but about the smallest sparrow that falls from a tree.  Jesus said, “Not one sparrow falls to the ground apart from the will of your Father.”

On another occasion, I spotted a beautifully preserved yellow butterfly, dead by the side of the road.  It reminded me of my daughter, whose favorite color is yellow.  “It is like her,” I mused,   “bright and intricate, yet delicate and fleeting.”  I reminded myself to enjoy each day with her, as so many seasoned mothers have reminded me that she’ll leave the nest before I’m ready.  As I admired its beauty, I thought again of God’s careful concern for each of His living creatures.  What a wonderful position I hold as a daughter of the King!

Once a coyote crossed the road in front of me and remained lurking in the bushes.  Another desperate phone call to my husband ensued.  “Are coyotes dangerous?  Should I stop or keep running?”  He assured me that the coyote was probably more scared of me than I was of it.  “Just keep running!”       

Then there was the time I started out too late in the day, and the sun set while I was still 6 miles from home.  Funny thing, there are no street lights on country roads.  I kept my cell phone lit so that ensuing cars would see me, hoping I wouldn’t twist an ankle.  At least the experience would teach me to be thankful on race day for the daylight.

As my journeys on Wheatridge Road drew to a close, I had a sense of sadness that I would no longer make these weekly treks outside of town.  I went hoping for some training that would pull me through the half marathon – but I left gaining much more than that: a sense of beauty, an appreciation for nature, reflections upon the divine, and character developed through suffering (albeit small on the scale of world suffering, my body suffered nonetheless).  And most of all, I left with a feeling of accomplishment, knowing that I had pushed myself past my limits and succeeded.  All you have to do is just keep running.

 My sister, Janna, and I after successfully finishing the race!