the path

We went this weekend to get Ryan fitted for some new running shoes @ Gazelle Sports, my hometown favorite. And I was trying my darndest to be on good behavior, to focus on the task at hand and sit still while we learned about inserts and orthotics.

But I can't deny that inside I felt like a kid in a candy store. Lollipops in the form of running skirts, and gu galore, not to mention those plush socks that are supposed to make your feet feel like heaven. And what is it about the "Life is Good" brand that transports me to a happy place?

I considered sharing some of the things that I wanted to hold and call my own but realized something about myself today. Stores like that communicate a very clear lifestyle and have an influence on me but no matter how much I pursue any one thing, be it running, or any other endeavor, it comes up short. Just like too much candy makes me sick, too much of pursuing any one thing besides God begins to turn life sour.

I have always loved the verse in Psalms 119:32 which reads:
"I run the path of your commands for you have set my heart free."

What am I doing today, tomorrow, next week to condition my heart and my mind for the peaks and valleys that come in running His path? Am I training in a way that allows me experience His freedom or am I sitting on my spiritual behind expecting to be able to handle hills and long races when life feels steep?