A Place of Trust

Many years ago when I first started running, a friend of mine who's an avid cross country and trail runner invited me to run the trails with him. He took me to the outskirts of a regional park just outside of the city where we live. The terrain was undulating and the paths rugged with branching twists and turns. I was trailing my friend closely for the past five miles or so when I started to get winded. I urged him to keep going as I stopped to walk and catch my breath. I turned my back to scan the area behind me to see if anybody else is around. Seeing nobody, I looked forward on the trail to find my friend but he was nowhere in sight. Breathless and unaccustomed to trail running in an unfamiliar area, I suddenly felt deserted.

Panicky and confused, the strait-laced runner in me reacted. I knew it - I shouldn't trust trail runners! I swore I would never give up my reliable routes - the paved roads that I can run on any day with my eyes closed. Before long, my friend appeared up from a distance and summoning me with his arms to come up the hill. I raised my hand in agreement but I actually wanted to wring his neck. I fussily jogged up the rocky and steep hill; but when I reached the top I was instantly transformed. There was a spectacular view of the landscape around us. My friend and I stayed there for awhile to enjoy the view to our heart's content.

It took the beauty of creation to wipe out my weariness after a difficult run. Somehow, beyond the ruggedness of the terrain; past the troughs and crests, was a wondrous sight and a place to rest. It also became a place to restore trust in my friend. He became my running buddy for a many years to come.

Right now, I see myself in a similar situation - running an unfamiliar and disorienting and perhaps lonely trail. Perhaps, we all every now and then are faced with a similar path. But let us not be discouraged because the path eventually leads to a place of trust. It's a place where I believe we are all called to go. To trust.

Where can I run from Your love?
If I climb to the heavens You are there,
If I fly to the sunrise or sail beyond the sea,
Still I find You there.
(From Psalm 139)