Thoughts

Yesterday, Jenn and I enjoyed the beautiful sunshine by taking an afternoon bike ride. Jenn rode her mountain bike. I rode my racing bike. (My hybrid wouldn’t fit in the car to bring to Rensselaer.) So as Jenn observed, she had to pedal about ten times for every one of my pedals. I hope that she won’t be upset with me for sharing that she felt bad for holding me back. I told her that there was no reason to feel bad. When I started running and biking in 2008, it was a very spiritual thing – right from the start. It was never about times or paces. It was more about the journey – about shared experiences.

I still remember one late night with my back on the wet grass of the football field just gazing up at the stars – in awe. For some reason, an inner voice had said to try running the school block mile – and compared to those many times in high school, it was easy. Then, Trent, Ben, and I took off on some awesome bike rides. We would be out in the middle of the country or one of the local towns – belching, honking the horn at dogs, taking pictures, sometimes even singing. The fall of 2008, Jim and I swam almost every morning. That was amazing to hit the water after lifting as the overhead lights above started to brighten. So yesterday, Jenn and I shared a journey – a journey through the countryside – a journey through God’s creation.

Last evening, after we returned from our ride, I headed over to the fitness center to sweat it out before church. (This week, one of my goals is to sweat so much that my t-shirt is entirely drenched. Pretty cool, huh?) Yet, as I drove onto campus, I felt compelled to stop by the grotto – and pray. Then, I walked over to the chapel and continued praying. My prayer was for direction… for wisdom… for guidance… for vision.

I am learning more and more that taking this time is critical. Right now, it is so important in my work. Like the experiences above, work is also something spiritual for me. Now, I am beginning to understand why it is so frustrating. It is not about dollars. It is not above the bottom line. It is about something much deeper - something that is difficult for me to put into words.