Look Around
Well Karoo Poison was a really great event, I had a blast and so did my dad on his bike. And I remember at one point in my run, I became very focused. The section I was running was tricky and so I had my head down, looking closely at where each step would go.
And then I stopped.
Because I realised it had been a while since I had looked around and taken in the scenery.
The Karoo is quite an arid area. There were no lush green trees or flowing rivers. But oh how beautiful it was! The open, dry, hills were almost heavy with silence. The sky was a clear, rich blue. Interesting birds flew overhead and called here and there. The scope, the space, the size, the silence… I looked around in a hushed awe.
I started running again, but this time, with a little bit more awareness of my surroundings. After all, it would have been a waste to have driven all the way out there and then run the race with my nose to the ground, missing out on the wonders of the area.
Pause, See, Appreciate
I suppose I often make the same mistake in life. I tend to get hyper-focused on things and then I can’t really think about anything else. It’s not a good quality. It might make me quite productive at times, but I often miss conversations because my mind is elsewhere, or miss moments with people or miss the beauty of places or experiences because I’m too busy obsessing over something else.
You’ve got to know when to focus, and when to stop and look around at the beauty.
God has given us a beautiful world. He has made fascinating and unique people all around us. He has gifted humans with the ability to create amazing things in various fields. But how often are we so busy with our noses to the grindstone, or so numbed by the things we’ve filled our minds with, that we stop seeing the beauty?
Look around! Even on the run, don’t just put your head down and slog through. Look around. See the beauty.
But also, see the need. Jesus once said this: “I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.” (John 4:35 NIV11) He was saying that we so often get so focused on the wrong things that we don’t see the great need in front of us. We’re too distracted to see what matters most.
Enjoy, Persevere, Observe
On the journey of life, friends, don’t just slog your way through and miss what God might be trying to reveal to you. Psalm 94:8 says “Take notice, you senseless ones among the people; you fools, when will you become wise?” In other words, look around!! Be wise enough to look around and see what’s going on.
I finally make it to finish line of this race. 16km of some brutal ups, some tricky downs, lots of small steps and big breaths, lots of perseverance when I didn’t feel like it. I came stone last in the men’s event, but boy did I enjoy it! Because I remembered to open my eyes and make the most of it, rather than just seeing the worst.
I pray that as you run the race of life, you’ll enjoy the journey. You’ll go slow and take deep breaths, looking around at the beauty and the need. I pray that you’ll not get ahead of yourself, and that you’ll persevere to the end.
Maybe I’ll see you out there on the trail, and we’ll enjoy journeying together.
