guest post::answering my own question

Hello there, Anne's readers!  I'm Chloë from tryin' to throw my arms around the world, and Anne has asked me to be a guest blogger while she takes high schoolers to summer camp to hear about Jesus!  Be sure to pray for Anne, and also especially for the youth this week.  Who knows what amazing things God can and will do in all of their lives!

Anyway, to introduce myself, I'm a girl who's been married almost a year to a dashingly handsome law student (first anniversary: 4th of July.  oh yes we did.), I work as a receptionist, I'm a retired dance major, I'm a Jersey girl to the core, and as of late, I've become something what others like to call a "runner".  Still not sure what that exactly means. 

So Anne had asked me to write about either

something God has been teaching me,

or about my recent habit of running,

so I naturally thought: why not both?

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Today, I posed this question to my running readers:

If you were told that you had to stop running forever,

what would you invest that once-reserved running time in doing?

...and it made me realize that I don't know how I would answer, nor would I ever actually want to have to answer.  How would you answer, should you replace the word "running" with something that occupies much of your own time?  Is there enough additional space in your hearts and time in your lives to be filled with God's dreams that would easily fill that void?  Have I personally become so consumed with getting every single one of my training runs done and with my dreams of running the Boston and New York City Marathons that I'm failing to find God's dream and purpose for my life today? 

Sadly enough,

I can't say no.

I was fortunate enough to run my first marathon for Team Samaritan's Purse, which gave me the perspective of not doing it for myself. 

But what about now?  Now that my biggest concern is not raising funds and awareness for others, but for improving my time, my pace, my abilities, all for me?  Have I become so consumed with running that I haven't invested into the lives of people, into serving others, into the advancing of God's kingdom?  Do I really not know what I would do??

Not being able to easily answer that question has taught me a lesson that I would like to share with you today.  Don't ever love something so much that should God ask you to give it up, it would be nearly impossible for you to say no.  {Matthew 6:21}

If God were to ever want me to not run anymore, He shouldn't have to cause me injury in order to do so.  He should just be able to tell me so.  So leave room in your lives for God to do crazy things.  I'm not saying it necessarily means He will today, or that He will take away one aspect of your life to replace it with something of His calling, but if He does, would you really want to miss it? 

I know I wouldn't.

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Thanks so much, Anne, for allowing me the privilege to post on your blog today!  Can't wait to hear awesome God stories when you get back!

And thanks to you all for reading!

grace&peace,

Chloë