Armor

As I was running my longer distance last weekend, I was reflecting upon the amount of new "gear" I've needed to buy as I prepare for my half. Previous workouts in prep for my annual 10Ks haven't required much thought. Whatever workout clothes I had in my drawer/closet worked fine, because I wasn't running very far. Now that I'm running longer distances on a more regular basis, the clearer it is becoming that I have to be strategic in my running gear. Here are some things I've learned:

• Drivers don't see you; So, wear bright colors.
• Drivers don't see you; So, wear reflective gear, too.
• Drivers don't see you: So, be sure to wave your arms wildly to catch their attention to confirm that yes, you ARE about to cross, and yes, you DO have the right-of-way.

With all kidding aside, I have also found the importance of quality athletic wear, a good pair of running shoes, and (my newest discovery) SOCKS. Cotton just won't do.

About 7 years ago, I worked at the best Christian Sports & Adventure camp ever, Camp Ozark. Among the many fond memories I have from working there, I have one in particular where we did a lot of jumping up and down. We did this daily during worship to the beat of our theme song. One of my favorite years was when we rocked it out to "No One Like You" by David Crowder. If you haven't ever heard it, look it up. The floor of the small gym was built for gymnastics, so there was a little give to the floor when we bounced, but our feet were constantly pounding against the floor. That is how I believe I injured my foot.

I didn't pay much attention to the pain at first, thinking it was just a bruise and it was no-big-deal... until over a year later when I folded over in pain walking to class in the middle of campus. Come to find out, a hairline fracture of the sesamoid bone had worsened over that year and eventually began to disintegrate and turn to trash. The problem with that is it's a weight bearing bone and unfortunately cannot be repaired, only cleaned out. So, post surgery I was left with an awesome scar, arthritis, and one bone less than you. This is unfortunate for me because the location of the scar is on the inside edge of my first metatarsal... right up against the side of the shoe... which means- yep. Blistering. So, at about mile 3 last weekend, I began to feel the hot-spot and knew I needed to try and find better socks if I had any chance of making it through these next 6 weeks of training without the plague of blisters. I took it as a challenge. This meant war!

Enter: God.

This was the part of the run where scripture began to flood my thoughts. In Ephesians 6, Paul writes about the armor of God. He lists equipment needed to be able to be fully prepared for battle. The important thing to recognize here is that he isn't telling us about an upcoming battle. No. He's telling us about a RIGHT-NOW battle. Satan is constantly waiting for you. He's waiting for any and all hairline fractures in your armor so he can infiltrate your thoughts, pull you down, tempt you, turn you, and blister you. Satan finds joy in this!

Equipping yourself with truth, righteousness  peace, faith, salvation, and the Spirit (found only in Him and through His Word) is the only way you're going to win a fight with the evil one. It's the only way to identify weaknesses and gain opportunities to strengthen them. If we were left to our own devices, we'd already be defeated. But the Son of God paid that price for us when He breathed His last breath on the cross and then rose again. Hallelujah!

So, here's my question for you (and me): when Satan begins to shoot his fiery arrows, which he will, what will you be wearing?

Run on!

Ephesians 6:10-18

Finally, be strong in the Lord and his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people.

5.7 mile sunset run in my new kicks. 2/3/13