I ventured out for a walk early this morning, just before the sun peeked over the horizon. When I opened the front door, it was still almost completely dark and the fog greeted me, quite literally, by glowing in the lights flanking the front porch and clinging to my face. I could see the droplets hanging thick in the air, dancing in the earliest morning light.
I’ve been walking or running (or riding the Peloton if weather doesn’t cooperate) every morning for more than three weeks now–a new habit being formed on purpose to help stave off the mid-life spread and stiff mornings that had become all-too-normal. There are days when putting on shoes first thing in the morning is the last thing I want to do, but the discipline is something I need to develop…not just for my physical health, but also for my mental and emotional health.
Discipline is something I have too-often lacked, but I have discovered it acts like the sunrise, bringing heat and light to the dark places, burning off the damp mist as it brightens the remainder of the day. In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul talks about disciplining his body, running the race with all that he’s got in order to win the prize. Discipline always results in progress, fruit, and victory. It is an important trait that never fails to make us stronger, faster, and wiser.
Discipline is not something I enjoy developing…who really does? The process is awkward, long, and often painful. But as the seasons of life change and new challenges present themselves, discipline becomes more and more necessary. Life isn’t slowing down, so I am going to have to adapt and find ways to continue to grow in order to live life to the fullest for the glory of God.
The morning mist is beautiful, ethereal and magical as I walk and observe it’s effects on the landscape. But when it comes time to get in the car and drive, the morning mist becomes a danger. It impedes visibility and can even cause the roads to be slick. The sunrise, the SONrise, injects beams of light that evaporate, illuminate, and create a safe place for growth and learning. A place where my path is easily seen and navigated. A place where I can go and do the things God has set before me with confidence because He has made my way clear in Jesus.
As the fog of sleep lifts, I take each step with more boldness as the sun rises above the treetops, easily navigating obstacles that were previously obscured. I marvel anew at the way He shows His care and concern for me, not only in providing the physical light I need in order to see, but also in the spiritual light He sheds upon things I once thought dark and unapproachable. Light that chases away the darkest shadows. Light that captures my vision and imagination, pulling me upward and onward with a heart beating quickly as my pace quickens and my lungs expand to take in the rich, cool air of morning.
Arundelle Green 