Running

There are two perspectives on running.  In the story of Moses he was running.  Moses was running from lots of things.  He ran from Egypt because he killed an Egyptian guard.  He was a wanted man.  He became comfortable in his flight and even notched out a credible life with a wife (Zipporah) and Jethro, his father-in-law.  Sometimes we stop in the process of running and settle in.

There is another perspective of running.  It is running to something.  Hebrews tells us to run toward the goal.  Paul says to run toward the prize.  Moses hears from God and heads toward Egypt.  He was tentative, reluctant, scared and full of excuses ... but he was headed in the right direction.

I have to reflect on where I fit into this story.  What I want to think is that I am that reluctant, tentative and scared guy who is running toward God's plan and purpose in spite of my doubts.  But I hope I am not the stopped, comfortable Moses, settling down in the wilderness of Midian, keeping myself busy but not busy in service to the Lord. 

I guess what I have to decide is whether I am running to or running from.  For we humans are runners by nature, going one direction or the other.  And even when we think we are stopped, we are either going in God's direction or going in some other direction.  There is no fence-sitting or middle ground.

Twila Paris writes a song about running that has the lyrics, "Runner, though the road is long, feel like giving up, but you're hanging on, runner, when the race is run, may you run into His arms."  That is my prayer for you and me!  Randy