Birds and Freeways

My feet hit the hard pavement on the walking trail near our church office, and the warm sun beats down above me.  As I run, I pray for clarity.  I pray for stillness in my mind and heart.  I pray to just let go.  With each step, I start listening on this quiet trail.  As I run east, I hear the constant humming of the busy freeway to the south that is taking people places at a high speed from here to there, consumed with where they are going next.  To the north, I hear the chirping of sparrows as they swoop and sing against the landscape of the burgeoning wilderness, consumed with the freedom to fly and soar…and sing. 

I hear the pitter-patter of my feet, and I think about my life.  The life that teeters in both worlds.  The life that craves the pace and noises of the north but is often pulled into the pace and noises of the south.  The life that hangs in the balance. When we lived in Kenya, it was easy to hear the birds more, all the time; life is slower there.  But when we moved back to Southern California, it seems the freeway pace of life is always there.  There's always somewhere to go, something to do, or so it seems.  However, we have a choice as to how many freeways we get on, the speed at which we travel, and if we choose to take the off-ramp to slow down, stop, and refocus.  It may be saying “no” to good things, figuring out what is best in a world of good choices, or it may be getting away from the cacophony of noises that can deafen a heart to just, simply listen. 

This morning, I listened.  I heard.  “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:1-2).”  

 For me, it’s about focus.  It’s about priorities.  It’s about running with perseverance.  It’s about listening.  

 It’s about learning to live in the freedom to fly and soar…and sing.