Running and Remembering

One of my favorite things to do, is to go out for a run. The first run that a remember was with my earthly father at the age of five. My father encouraged me in running. When I was but a ten year old boy, he challenged me to run five consecutive miles in under eight minutes per mile. I wanted a pair of running shoes, he told me that if I met his challenge, he would purchase the shoes. I trained and met his challenge. I am thankful that my earthly father encouraged me in this way because it has given me a healthy activity on into middle age. I am not as fast as I once was, in fact, I am back to were I was at the age of ten. 

Currently, I am running at least five miles, at least four days a week, for a total of at least twenty miles a week, and trying to run those miles in under eight minutes per mile. The route that I take on Sunday mornings is my favorite because I pass three things that remind of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

First, I pass through the grounds of our local high school and this reminds me that our Lord Jesus Christ is our teacher.

 

John 1:37-38

The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. And Jesus turned and saw them following, and *said to them, “What do you seek?” They said to Him, “Rabbi (which translated means Teacher), where are You staying?”

Second, I pass by a yard with many sheep. I run by this yard early in the morning and there is a guard dog who watches over the flock by night. The dog’s breed is a Great Pyrenees and they are known to be great livestock guard dogs. He is a very large dog, he always sends out an alarm when he sees me approaching, and he puts himself between me and the sheep. This reminds me that our Lord Jesus Christ is the good shepherd. 

John 10:11

“I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.”

Third, I pass by a yard with a donkey. The donkey reminds me that our Lord Jesus Christ road into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey’s colt; then, at the end of the week, he carried our burden with him, on his back, to the place of the skull where he was crucified. 

John 12:14-15

Jesus, finding a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written, “FEAR NOT, DAUGHTER OF ZION; BEHOLD, YOUR KING IS COMING, SEATED ON A DONKEY’S COLT.”

John 19:17-18

They took Jesus, therefore, and He went out, bearing His own cross, to the place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha. There they crucified Him, and with Him two other men, one on either side, and Jesus in between.

Lastly, the run occurring on the first day of the week is a reminder to me that our Lord Jesus Christ is risen! 

John 20:19-20

So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and *said to them, “ Peace be with you.” And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord.