Life on the Run

Sometimes I think I am on this internet thing too much, especially when I go through withdraw symptoms after going 12 hours without checking my email.

But sure enough, every little while, am important email springs up from something church-related, Army-related, freelance-related, or house-related--many of which are time-sensitive. Perhaps this validates my wife's insistence that I join the 21st century and get a smartphone.

In any case, I got one of those important emails the other night. The organizer of the the Menomonee Falls Running Club on meetup.com decided to step down, triggering a brief amount of time when someone else can step up into that role before the group is shut down. I immediately volunteered, and subsequently, am now the leader of the local group before even closing on a house.

My life is now out of order, or at least my plans for my new calling are a bit out of order. The first quarter is devoted to integration in both the life of the church and life of the community. Mostly reconnaissance and trust-building type of stuff. Nice and slow.

Volunteering for leadership roles in the community is a fourth quarter priority--meaning, next summer. It is funny how the Lord, in His holy, wise, and powerful providence, will rearrange things on me every time. Without a house for the first six weeks, all of my early hospitality plans have gone out the window. But, hey, I can go ahead and take over a group and its 120 local followers right away. I guess ordinary pencils still have their use--for making plans.

One irony in all of this is that I haven't run in three months. I will run for three months, culminating with a marathon or something similar, then will work myself ragged and will hardly move a muscle for the next three months. I actually rely on leadership roles to keep me motivated. I will run all year if I can help other runners in the process.

So I went for my first run yesterday, on another atypical 70 degree day in Wisconsin in November. I left the church, went south on Pilgrim Ave, then east on Good Hope Rd. I constantly had to switch sides of these major roadways in order to stay on the sidewalks (people treat shoulders like extra lanes here). I enjoy running by lush green fields as I made my way to Appleton Ave, which runs diagonally through town. Once on Appleton, I passed a number of shopping centers until I arrived at my desired destination--the Army recruiting station. Closed.

So I continued on my run northward on Appleton until I hit the intersection with Pilgrim, and took it south back to the church. I unintentionally ran 5.25 miles out of the gate and now have a preview of what soreness at age 50 will feel like (only 17 years away!). I will be hosting my first run here in the Falls on Veterans Day--a two mile out and back through our ample green spaces to simulate the Army PT test, just without the yelling. There's an open invite at the American Legion bar afterward.

Please pray for me in this new position of influence and opportunity to bring hope and grace to the lives of others in my own, broken only-by-the-grace-of-God sort of way. Feel free to join me if you live in the area! As with the larger race of life, there may be some pain involved, but also satisfaction.

The Unspoken Bond

This was only my third time, but when I entered the local Army recruiting station in my civilian clothes and barely adolescent beard, I was greeted by a chorus of greetings.

I didn't need to wear the uniform--they remember their own, and they remember their chaplains.

The first question I was asked: "Have any of our soldiers shown up at your church yet?"

Apparently, a number of them are looking for churches (good ol' Army with its middle-America culture) and want to visit! I told them I would love to see them there. I can honestly say that I love the church--the people are loving, and the preaching is warm, rich, and most important, biblical!

I cannot wait until our family moves into our new home. These soldiers will hopefully be unofficial uncles and aunts to our kids, and will always have a place at our table.

(I had a dear elder brother in the faith ask me today if my family eats beans six days a week so we can host others on the seventh. That has never been a problem. God has always provided plenty on all occasions. We have always been blessed by those who host us and serve leftovers--it shows that they are giving of what they have.)

While I share a unique bond with fellow soldiers, the rest of the church to which I belong also shares bonds in the community. Some gather with fellow trappers and hunters for a quality outing. Others have play dates with friends in their neighborhood. In all of these communal bonds, opportunities are in place to get deeper--to know others' struggles, yearnings, and beliefs. And in those deepening relationships, there are opportunities to share the truth of Christ--the hope for every broken sinner.

There is one deeper bond, and that is the one shared by those who know Jesus Christ. That bond transcends all others, for it is forged in divine blood. When we share the Gospel with others, we seek to bring new meaning to the term "blood brothers" and welcome people who may be very different from ourselves into the most intimate of relationships.

What is a camouflage uniform compared to the blood-washed robes of those belonging to such a great Savior?