I love running, it is a vital part of my life as my best form of stress relief. I stroller run with my girls. It takes a lot of effort. I need to bring snacks and water. They need to be dressed properly for the weather. But for me it is a completely worthwhile effort.
I haven’t always been a fan of running. When I was in elementary school my mom would drag me along on her Bloomsday training runs. I didn’t like it, I complained, a lot. She would try to keep me entertained by telling me stories and she bribed me with bites of blueberry bagel when I got to certain points in the run. Despite my disinterest in running my mom kept nudging me in that direction, and now I am so grateful that she did. After I started to enjoy running my mom would joke that when I ran my first marathon, she would be waiting at the end with a blueberry bagel. Well, I ran/walked a marathon and my mom was there cheering me on, and that was so special. As I look back on my life there are many points where I can see her gently nudging me in directions that she could see would be good for me. I want to be a lovingly involved parent like her, encouraging my children in their strengths but still letting them make their own decisions. My mom was a great reflection of our heavenly Father. God knows exactly what is best for us and he gently nudges us. I am often reluctant and push back so it takes a long time, but God remains eternally patient with me.
