I must admit that my fishing days have been rare lately and it looks like it will be that way for another several weeks. For a while now I’ve been trying to finish my Master’s degree and I’ve had to put just about everything aside just to complete the program by the middle of August before I get back on the road. My only outdoor activities have been my early morning runs. It’s just the way it has to be right now, but I’m planning a big celebration at the end of August; a bear hunt in Maine. Until then, I will plod along in the books and on the running trail.
Running as been a welcomed friend for me. I have laced up my shoes in several states and enjoyed the scenery that each place boasts of. I have taken in the ocean and the mountains on my short sprees and have wandered through the neighborhoods in cities like Weatherford, Texas, Cherryville, North Carolina and Ridgedale, Missouri.
Even though I enjoy running with others, I do have to run alone on many occasions and always when I’m on the road. What I have noticed is that running brings out the thanksgiving in me. I don’t think I ever feel more blessed than when my legs feel strong, my lungs feel clear and my senses are aroused by the rising of the sun and the cool curtain of midst that I must run through.
I used to run and listen to music until I realized that if I would allow him to, God would sing to me and speak to me through the sounds of His creation. Since then He has never failed to do that and I have never failed to leave my headphones at home.
I think what makes me so thankful is simply the fact that God has given me the health to participate in such a refreshing activity. There are so many folks who perhaps would join me if they were able, but they are not. My age can also be a hindrance, but again God has seen fit to keep me jogging along, relying only on an occasional ibuprofen buffer. I really can’t transfer in print how thankful I am as I run. I am so in tune to the least little blessings that God provides.
I hope there is something in your life that brings out the thankfulness in you. If you are not sure what it might be, begin to look for it. It will probably be found at a place where pride is unconsciously overcome by humility. When you find that place or activity, look for ways to get there. Look for ways to put yourself in that position. It will be there that God will become the most precious and where He will speak the clearest. And these will keep you coming back time and time again.
If you enjoy this column, let your newspaper or magazine editor know. They want to know you are reading. Also, if you would like to receive my monthly email newsletter and follow me on the road, drop me an email. And lastly, go to my website and order your copies of my books that have over sixty of my articles. I am thankful for you.
Gary Miller
gary@outdoortruths.org
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