Trying to Hide

This is were I run/walk each evening. I've heard this "trail" is about a mile long, but I honestly have no way to confirm that at this time. It winds the entire length of my apartment complex along the bay. Recently I have begun to take advantage of some beautiful evenings and clear skies after my run and have become a star gazer...but that is a whole other story.

I definitely am blessed with some beautiful views especially in the evenings.

I've really enjoy my runs along this trail, but a couple of weeks ago the apartment complex brought in what I assume was truck loads of a particular substance to do a little maintenance on the trail. You might wonder exactly what this material was...let me show you.

At first the "resurfacing" of the trail made it difficult to run on. The packed trail that I had become comfortable with suddenly was piled nice, high, and well loosely. It has taken several weeks, but with enough runner, walkers, bikers, and golf carts on the trail, the shells have again begun to be packed down making my evening runs much easier. However, there is still a problem. Some of those tinniest shells some how make their way into my shoes. Here is what I have collected since Sunday.

Let me just say, that this is not comfortable, and there are times in which I have had to stop and retrieve these little guys before I can continue.

Other times I continue running and try to get these broken shells into a particular place where they do not cause any discomfort or pain. This normally works for a while, but they eventually squirm their way back into place that begins to cause that annoying poking sensation. I have discovered that there is only one way to make sure they don't cause any problems and that is to untie my shoe, take it off, empty my shoe out, put my shoe back on, and finally retie the laces.

Sometimes in life, it is the same way. Some annoying habit or struggle appears in my life. I might try to ignore it for a while...push it into some corner so that it doesn't cause me any discomfort or pain. Eventually it makes it way back out into the open and rears it's ugly head.

I can fool other people. I can even fool myself. There is one person that I can never fool.

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Hebrews 4:12-13

Eventually, you can't ignore it. You can't hope it goes away. You can't shove it out of the way and simply pray that it stays there. The only way to really get rid of these habits and struggles...so to speak...is to take off the shoe, empty it all out, and then put the shoe back on. But it isn't something that we can do on our own.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Romans 12:1-2