Running into Spiritual Discipline ( #1? )

In discussions on spiritual matters, I've been known to say "It's like when you're running and..." If I were to write a book, that would be the topic: What I've learned about spiritual discipline through the discipline of running.

I am going to start writing some of those thoughts here.

I am not a fast runner, but I can keep going. While my slow pace can be irksome to me, I have learned to be ok with it because at least I am still running. I remember being given the advice to run at my own pace, don't try and run at someone else's pace. This is a very useful tip. I can run further following this guideline. I am less likely to burn out or collapse with the effort. I enjoy the run more. I build up my muscles in a safe way and am less likely to be injured. Once I develop basic abilities as a runner, then I can build and push myself more. 

2 Corinthians 10:12 encourages us not to compare ourselves among ourselves because it is unwise or foolish. Galatians 6:4-5 encourages us to carry our load and not compare ourselves to someone else.

Hebrew 13:7 encourages us to look to our leaders and consider their way of life and thus imitate their faith.

I am inspired by many runners that I know but I am not them and that is ok. I can, however, learn from them. How do they eat? What is their running schedule? How do they cross-train?

I am also inspired when I see fruit in the lives of fellow believers. I want to learn from them. How do they study the Bible? How do they spend their time? What fruit is in their life and how did it get there?

Once I have answers to these questions I can tackle the task of seeing what that looks like in my life. Those disciplines won't necessarily look the same. It will take time to adjust and build up to where they are. I can go at my pace, not theirs. While I may make mistakes and grow slowly, at least I am still moving.

Waiting for Baby

When visiting one's sister, waiting for her to have a baby means, well obviously a lot of waiting.

Thankfully I've been able to keep myself a bit busy with running and weight lifting. In Musoma my guards made themselves a barbell with a pole and some cans filled with cement. I'm finding the equipment in the garage here a bit easier to handle J.

I also found a large cardboard box and decided to paint it as a little house for my nephew. I think I'll be finishing that up soon.

But I've also found time to relax with my nephew.

Running in Musoma

Running along Riverside in Tulsa, Oklahoma is one of my favorite things about being from Tulsa. I learned to treasure the peace, serenity and friendliness that comes along with the trails that follow the Arkansas.
Naturally, I was looking forward to how much more awesome it would be to run in Africa. If running in the middle of civilization along a riverbank was sublime...I would be reaching new peaks of sublimity when running through the jungles and hills of Africa. No pavement. No concrete. No cars. Just me and the trail.

Hm...well, I was sort of right. There isn’t pavement, concrete or cars...but it is not just me and the trail. My love of running and my resolve to continue running no matter what has been tested by running in Tanzania.
I stand out enough here...being one of the few white people to live in Musoma. It adds a whole new degree of standing out to see a white female running down the road or through the farm trails. It is quite common to have children (and the occasional teenager and adult) chase after you yelling 'Mzungu Mzungu Mzungu'. At times I have tripped over children, been hit or grabbed by others, had rude things said to me...or even once a child ran away crying in terror because three white people came running around the corner and that was just not what she expected for her day.

I finally took my camera with me one day for a run through the farms near where I live and would like to show you the beauty of where I live...as well as tell you about that particular day.

It is about a 25 minute walk from my front door to the top of the hill where I typically start my run. Traditionally I run with my good friend Misha Sandeen and we leave from her house, which is only a 15 minute walk from this hill top.

There are several markers along the way that can be a turn around point. The rock at the top of the hill (which is in fact just under the top of the hill). That curve at the bottom of the hill. Or maybe I'll turn around at the place where the tall grasses start. Or if I'm feeling really ambitious I may venture as far as the puddle that never dries up.

On this particular day I turned around at the rock on the top of the hill. From this vantage point (were you to look with your own eyes, rather than through my camera lens), you can see that Musoma really is located on a peninsula. You can see lake Victoria for at least 180 degrees. Not to mention the corn fields, greenery, reddish dirt and large rock formations.

Just so you know that it really was me that ran out to take these photos, and that I truly do live in such a gorgeous country...here is pictorial proof of my presence on this run:

You may be asking yourself at this point if I ever sing songs from the Lion King as I run along these paths...the answer is unequivocally: YES.

As I was finishing the run I began to lament the fact that no children had started to chase me. I thought it would be an assumed occurrence, and yet not a solitary person had crossed my path. At that very moment of lamentation I turned a corner to see six boys holding hands across the path barring my passage.
My first thought was 'how am I going to get around them?', then decided I would just charge them in the middle...and thankfully they broke apart and let me pass. All of them began running after me immediately. I stopped suddenly and they almost ran away because they thought they were going to get a lecture...instead, they got to pose for a picture. This, I think, made their day as well as mine.

Moments later I passed a dog and then his owners kept up with me just enough to ensure the dog was trotting beside me step for step. Considering the fact that a colleague had just been attacked by a rabid dog...I was just a bit nervous.
So, running in Musoma is beautiful. But there are many challenges. The people yelling at you, the attention you draw, the fact that many people walk these paths with machetes, the fact that I've had rocks thrown at me, a knife smacked on my backside, all these things can make running here more of a chore, rather than a relaxing exercise...but...then there is this:

So, I keep running.