Day 6

You Lift My Head So I Can See All of Heaven Surrounding Me

Mere days now until I'll run the 35-mile Georgia Jewel. Each day up to race day I've been reflecting on the song that has given me strength through this journey: Confident, by Steffany Gretzinger. Yesterday, I focused on the lyrics - you give me joy for my mourning. Today, I'll turn to the next lyric in the song: ​​

You lift my head so I can see all of heaven surrounding me

When I began considering my first trail run, and talked with experienced trail runners, most of them hinted at some sort of spiritual experience waiting for me on the trail I won't find running elsewhere. My friend Gregory Byerline talks about the

opportunity to strengthen our relationship with creation. Georgia Jewel race director Jenny Baker calls the trail a place and space to truly hear God. 

As I've been training for this upcoming race, and spent some time on the trails, I've begun to feel some of this spiritual connection. The trails seem more determined to draw my attention to the trees that surround me, the thickness of a fog that blankets me as I navigate the rock and root covered surface, the smell of the sky -  the sounds of the streams that trickle worlds away from anyone's notice but mine. In a world that too often seems focused on the hope of some distant and eternal day, the trail's offered a slice of heaven in the here and now. 

In running and in life, it's easy to lose sight of the here and now. Running points us to the finish line of some distant race, like the Georgia Jewel. Life points us to the finish line of who we are and dream of being, like the CEO of our own company, a retirement home on the beach - or maybe heaven. We live so many days banking on a future reward. We sink our energy into dreams that can only come true tomorrow - never today. We cling to a mantra that insists every future day can surely be better than this one. 

I'm not opposed to dreams or hope or preparing for a hard earned reward. Not until, that is, we drop our heads and plow forward with such dogged determination that we fail to lift our heads and experience the life we have right now. As a Christian, I often say one of the big mistakes we make is believing heaven is some distant and untouchable place and time. It's a belief that robs us of the possibility of experiencing heaven today. 

To me heaven is peace, breath taking beauty, a community that looks for goodness in one another - not fault and blame. It's a place where we discover we are and always will be enough, a place where I have your back isn't a friendly phrase but a God who loves me. I have to admit, in my time on the trail so far, I've experienced a lot of that heaven. I've felt all along God was pointing me to the Georgia Jewel for a reason. I'm beginning to thing it's to raise my head so I can see all of heaven surrounding me. 

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Click above to donate to help Giving Words help Kate.

I am honored to run this race for Giving Words and my friend Kate Fletcher. I got to know Kate when I interviewed her on my TwoTim47 podcast after she ran 100 miles to raise scholarship money for her Louisa County High students. I was taken by her heart and spirit for using running to help others. You can listen to my conversation with Kate here: High School Teacher Kate Fletcher Runs 100 Miles For Student Scholarships.
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​In the interview, I had no idea Kate had needs of her own. Her humble spirit won't give things like that away. But Kate lives in a house with some significant structural challenges. So I'm partnering with my friend Eddie Brown and Giving Words to help her. I'm hoping to find 100 people to donate $35 - one dollar for each mile of that Georgia Jewel run. ​​​​​​​​