A Silver Lining to Every Storm

Last night was amazing.  Thunderstorms were all around us, but it was 74 degrees and sunny in our neighborhood!!!   HELLO - it's the last week of July!  Even though I was tired and not really in the mood, I laced up my running shoes and headed out to take advantage of this rare cool summer evening.  To be honest, I didn't know if I was going to even make it a quarter mile.  My heart was just not in it, but I soon found my stride, relaxed, and recessed into the "cave" (aka - blarring music! LOL!).  I've recently updated my running playlist to include praise and worship music.  It's a good mix for me...  a little "Jesus jams", and a little hip hop.  Honestly if it has a good beat, I can run to it.  Just into my second mile it started to rain.  Not pour, just an annoying heavy drizzle.  I surged on, comforted by the fact that "I wont melt." - something my husband often tells me when I run inside from the rain.  LOL!   As I was rounding one of the corners in my route I looked up and saw the most beautiful rainbow - so vibrant and a complete semi-circle.  I found myself drawn to keep running in that direction, and before I knew it darkness was falling and I had gone just about 7 MILES!!!  Ummm Yeah!  Before last night the farthest I've ever gone is about 5 miles and I thought I was going to fall over and never be able to walk again afterwards. But last night I was ALIVE - restored and refreshed in the coolness of the night and I felt an amazing closeness to my Heavenly Father and my dad.  It rained the night he was called home.  I was definitely not dressed for night running though- seeing as I was wearing a black t-shirt and shorts.  So I headed in.  But can I just say WOW!!!  I might pull off this goal of running a half marathon yet!  Last night I was over half-way there!!!  I am filled with a new confidence and excitement and maybe just maybe last night I experienced my first "runner's high".  Whoo Hoo!

It was still raining this morning and it even hailed today.  Ugh!  I had some errands I really needed to get done and the rain was putting me in a BAD mood.  How is it that something that can be so positive one day be so negative the next???  It stopped this afternoon long enough for me to load the kids up and head to town to at least run to the grocery store for a few essentials for dinner tonight.  If a trip to the grocery store can't cheer me up - it's got to be serious right!?!  That's my Disneyworld!!!  LOL!  As we were checking out I noticed some firemen behind me.  The kids and I have always talked about baking stuff and taking it to the firehouse for the fire fighters, but somehow it's never happened.  I did a quick survey of the contents of their cart - looked like burgers, sloppy joes & hamburger helper was on their menu this week.  Not much of what I would care to eat, but all of those seem to be quick meals - something I guess you have to be conscious of in that profession.  Anyway, I felt a need to pay for their groceries.  But how???  I had all the kids (who were putting on quite a show of - "Can we get this???  Can I have that???)  and I wanted to get home before it started raining again.  So I did the next best thing.  I threw a grocery store gift card on my pile of stuff in the amount that I felt would cover their bill.  The cashier looked white as a ghost when I told her what I wanted to do.  I left the store before they could tell the men what I had done.  I didn't need, nor want, recognition for my random act of kindness. The warmth I felt inside was more than enough.  I enjoyed telling my kids on the way home what WE had done.  I hope this story will plant a seed of kindness in their hearts.   My day has been better ever since.  It's so rewarding to just love people the way Christ loved us.  To give without receiving, to love without expectations, and to live freely without fear!  Have a blessed day friends!!!  I'm off to bake cupcakes - this day is definitely headed in a new and much better direction! MMMmm!