My friend and I run at 6am, three times a week. It's early...very, very early.
This is how it goes...
I wake up at 5:40.
I pray that she'll cancel.
I check my phone for texts.
Nothing.
Or, sometimes there's a sweet text saying something like "See you in the morning" or "I'm game to run if you are!"
I put on my running clothes and check my email while I drink some water.
I search high and low for my keys.
I give up and borrow Alex's keys.
I hop in my car and turn the radio to Air1...a very fabulous Christian station that plays super cool music without interruptions. It's glorious. If you live around here, it's 88.1 and you will LOVE it!
I sing all the way to our meeting place about 3 miles from my home.
She always beats me.
I hop out of my car and act excited to be running at 6am. And by act, I mean I'm acting. I could win a freakin' academy award for all the acting I do at 6am!
We stretch and talk and then I stop acting and I'm actually glad we're running.
It's fun to hang out with a friend first thing in the morning.
Especially a friend that doesn't mind that your hair is frizzy and doesn't notice the pillow creases on your face...but maybe she can't see them in the dim light of pre-dawn.
We finish stretching and head out...chatting as we go.
She runs faster than me so she does more of the talking...I listen.
She must think I'm a really good listener, but really, I'm out of breath because she's running fast.
I'm learning to be a better listener.
About two thirds of the way through our run, I begin to feel like stopping. I'm tired.
It's right about then that we cross paths with "God Bless You Guy".
He's awesome.
He's an older gentleman who's dressed for work. I imagine he works in an office. We think he's walking to the bus stop. We don't know. We are running and can't stop to ask.
As we approach him he smiles at us and says in a very cheerful voice, "Good Morning ladies! God bless you!"
We reply: "Thank you! You too!"
Then we always say to each other, "He's awesome!"
It's wonderful to receive a blessing so early in the morning when our strength is waning.
We continue on our loop back to our cars.
The run is over and we stretch and chat before we leave.
I say a little prayer of gratitude for "God Bless You Guy"as I drive home.
I wonder if he knows we look forward to seeing him.
A blessing is a wonderful thing to give another person.
It takes very little effort but can mean the world.
"God Bless You Guy" inspires me to be a blessing to those I meet...he reminds me that just a few kind words can give a person the boost they need to keep on going!
Proverbs 16:24
Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.
