I braved a run today. Yup, the sun was calling out to my lazy bones. So I decided to get changed and once I did there was no turning back. Usually I have to have my ipod with me when I run, it is just so boring to run alone without any music. But today, remembering what Joyce said about speaking to God during jogs, I thought I would give that a try. So I turned off the music, and in flowed sounds of cars driving by, birds chirping, and my own (slightly laboured, since it's only the beginning of summer) breathing. To my surprise, I found it to be very refreshing to not have the usual Black Eyed Peas or Red Hot Chili Peppers pumping into my ears (some might know why!). I thought I would pray during my run, but it turned out to be difficult. I kept getting distracted by the houses and cars that I ran past, and thoughts of "when do I get to the end of my run?". But I still tried, and after some persistence I ended up contemplating on God in the duration of my run.
My run, it turned out, was one of the best one that I've ever gone on. Maybe it's because I got rid of the usual noises that would cloud my mind when I would normally run. I was able to clear my mind a little bit. Maybe it's because I spent a big portion of the time thinking about God, about the Holy Spirit, and Jesus. I thought about how he was with me while I ran, I prayed that he would grant me strength and endurance. I thought about how I was running for God. It was quite fun!
Which brings me to my blog "title". I ran past some pretty nice houses, with fresh paints of coat and perfectly manicured lawns. We who live in this area have it really good. Just look at the amount of wealth that surrounds us. Another thought came into my mind, "I wonder if God is in these beautiful places?" Of course, God is everywhere. But I wonder if his spirit has been invited into these houses, into the lives of the people who dwell in them. And what is the use of living in a large mansion if God doesn't live in there with you, if God doesn't live in your heart. I like to argue that God lives in everybody's hearts, if we search for him. So perhaps I mean, what is the use of owning a big mansion if you don't hold dear to your heart a relationship with God? These are just random thoughts... Where can we find God in such a seemingly perfect neighbourhood? I remembered that Jesus often identified with the poor and the rejected. So ironically in a neighbourhood so blessed with riches, for the first time I wondered if God could be found here....
Then, I ran past an Asian woman walking along with two Caucasian little girls. The woman had modest clothes on, but the little girls were dressed splendidly. I've been seeing a lot of these women, who leave their home countries and come to Canada in search of a better life for themselves, or for their families back home. A lot of them are quite young. I often wonder, "What about their youth? Falling in love? Having a family for themselves?" They seem to give up so much. At that moment, I thought, "Ah, here is the face of Jesus..."
My run, it turned out, was one of the best one that I've ever gone on. Maybe it's because I got rid of the usual noises that would cloud my mind when I would normally run. I was able to clear my mind a little bit. Maybe it's because I spent a big portion of the time thinking about God, about the Holy Spirit, and Jesus. I thought about how he was with me while I ran, I prayed that he would grant me strength and endurance. I thought about how I was running for God. It was quite fun!
Which brings me to my blog "title". I ran past some pretty nice houses, with fresh paints of coat and perfectly manicured lawns. We who live in this area have it really good. Just look at the amount of wealth that surrounds us. Another thought came into my mind, "I wonder if God is in these beautiful places?" Of course, God is everywhere. But I wonder if his spirit has been invited into these houses, into the lives of the people who dwell in them. And what is the use of living in a large mansion if God doesn't live in there with you, if God doesn't live in your heart. I like to argue that God lives in everybody's hearts, if we search for him. So perhaps I mean, what is the use of owning a big mansion if you don't hold dear to your heart a relationship with God? These are just random thoughts... Where can we find God in such a seemingly perfect neighbourhood? I remembered that Jesus often identified with the poor and the rejected. So ironically in a neighbourhood so blessed with riches, for the first time I wondered if God could be found here....
Then, I ran past an Asian woman walking along with two Caucasian little girls. The woman had modest clothes on, but the little girls were dressed splendidly. I've been seeing a lot of these women, who leave their home countries and come to Canada in search of a better life for themselves, or for their families back home. A lot of them are quite young. I often wonder, "What about their youth? Falling in love? Having a family for themselves?" They seem to give up so much. At that moment, I thought, "Ah, here is the face of Jesus..."
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