5k Every Day in the Month of May (Day 5)

This was a full day. Actually, it was even more than a full day because I’m technically writing about yesterday even though it still feels like today.

I was working in the recording studio today and had a goal of getting a song completely recorded from start to finish and quick mixed. We nailed it. Nick Mast showed up early in the morning to record the drums. I recorded the acoustic guitar, bass guitar, tambourine, and vocals. Rocky Favia, Jr. sang harmony vocals. Elijah Beachy, Rocky Favia Jr., Mark Rowe, and I sang several different passes of gang background vocals. Elijah Beachy recorded electric guitar. Mark Rowe recorded piano.

Unfortunately I didn’t have time to spend on putting a good mix together, but I have a quick mix. The song is called Coming Back and it is an encouragement for the church to live in the reality of Christ’s imminent return. He is coming back for his church. I want to be found faithful when he comes!

Towards the end of the recording, I realized that I needed to get my 5k in, so I left Elijah and Mark to work on the piano recording while I went out to do a quick run.

I ran a little slower and a little further than I have so far this month. I ran 4 miles instead of 3.1, and my time was 32.08.4. That is an average pace of 8:03 per mile.

Today my victory was not in the distance or the pace, though I am happy with both. Today my victory was in the finish.

I cannot explain how crazy the wind was today while I was running. It felt like no matter what direction I was running in -the wind was determined to blow in the opposite direction. I was running into the wind for nearly the entire run. I felt like a human kite being blown all over the road.

I could feel the wind pressing hard against me, keeping my body from any momentum or easy movement. I really wanted to stop. I was already tired, and now I had to work extra hard for every step.

But I didn’t stop. I pressed on towards the goal. My victory was in the finish.

In typical God fashion, he used the crazy wind to really speak to my heart. My late afternoon run had some significant parallels with the way that I feel in life, sometimes.

Life can be really difficult.

Sometimes it feels like every step forward is a task and there is just a constant source of pressure, no matter which direction you turn. It can be easy to just want to give up.

But God doesn’t want us to give up. He wants us to press on. He fills us with his Spirit so that we will have all of the strength that we need for the journey.

I love these words from the Apostle Paul:

“…forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13b-14, ESV)

After the run I ate a quick meal, headed off to worship team rehearsal, and then went to the 10:15 showing of Captain America: Civil War with some of the members of the Worship Team. We are kind of crazy… lately we have been going to see comic book movies on opening night. It’s actually really fun to get to hang out a bit outside of the typical worship team setting.

Now I am home and writing this blog post before turning in for a couple of hours of sleep. It still feels like today even though I know it is tomorrow. Or maybe I should say that it is hard to believe it is today since it still feels like yesterday…

Either way, I should probably get some sleep.