New Year New You 5k

Following a recent tradition of setting up last-minute runs, I announced the formation of a New Year New You 5k. With my visiting parents and little boy helping at the starting line (wife was at home with a tired baby), we gathered a group of 7 runners. After instructions and prayer, we set off.

Unlike last time, most of the runners were not from church! Of course, we had the retired Rev. Tolsma and his wife with us, walking their way into the further lore of sweet, aged, couples who still enjoy time together--even if walking in freezing temperatures for an hour!

But we also had four young adults from the community--some who heard about us on Facebook and others from Meetup--who ran with me the whole time. I got to know their names, a bit about where they live and where they're from, as well as whether they're married and have kids. I asked for their input on improving our running group, and think they'll help me take it to the next level!

As we returned from our 5k on the icy paths, three of the runners turned around to do another lap and make it a 10k. I handed my card to the departing runner and ran into another man and his dog who was interested in the group (my parents had held him there until I arrived) and I handed him my card and the church card.

My dad them joined me for a light walk/jog to go meet up with Tolsmas and chat with them for a bit. We did so for a few minutes before again, running into a couple walking a dog. We let the Tolsmas continue on their way as we chatted up this random couple. Turns out that they are believers from down in Wheaton, IL--up here for the holidays. The wife expressed her heartache that most of her 9 siblings are not walking with the Lord. We spent some time in prayer together.

A little while later, the three remaining runners joined us at the finish, happily chatted for a few as our bodies cooled down from the run, and talked about vague plans for the future. Another gal who had been running around joined us well. She had arrived late for the run and had just jogged around aimlessly until we were done.

All in all, a fabulously encouraging event. We engaged 6 members of the community--a number of them for an extended period of time. We had an encouraging conversation with an out-of-town couple. And we watched with awe as a couple with a combined century and a half of years on them continued to enjoy the warmth of their marriage in the bitter cold of New Years.

As we embark upon the new year, remember that new you does not come through self-transformation, dramatic resolutions, or simply "turning the page."

"If any man is in Christ, he is a new creation--the old has gone, the new has come." (2 Cor. 5:17)