The big event for me this last day of 2016, a trail run on
the mountain above the town I grew up in with 2 treasured friends. It’s only 8:30 pm now, but I have no further
plans to ring in the New Year. I will
probably be in bed by the time the ball drops in New York, but I still feel the
need to take a moment to reflect before 2016 rolls into 2017. This year flew by, as the years tend to do,
faster and faster, the older we become.
We are so impatient to get to the next birthday, the next grade, and the
next stage in our life when we are young, then once we have reached the
majority of childhood and young adult milestones, we see time differently. We wish to stop it and treasure life more
rather than rushing through it. We gain
patience and wisdom, but lose time. It’s
been two years since I last saw my two running companions from this morning,
but it doesn’t feel like two years. The only tangible sign to me that two years
have passed are our kids, who have grown and changed a lot in that short
time. It will probably be two years
before I see them again after this trip is over, but I will carry the
simplicity of what I learned from our trail journey together this morning with
me throughout the upcoming year.
Our run today started out like any New Year really, with a
bit of apprehension…will my body fail me today and not be able to make the full
journey without complications that might possibly slow my friends down and
affect their expected run as well? Every year comes with its challenges and
changes and when these happen, we wonder how we will weather it and usually, we
get through it unscathed, despite our apprehensions. This was true of today as well because after
we got moving on the trail, I realized how doable it was for me, and I found my
rhythm and began enjoying the new challenge running on a rocky mountain terrain
brings. Then, as we got deeper into the
woods, we had to slow and move carefully to avoid being tripped up by tree
roots and leaf camouflaged protruding rocks.
At first, I was proud of my footballesque maneuvers to bounce over and
around these obstacles until I had a couple of near misses, which made me stop
and proceed with more caution. So, the
same is true of a New Year as well, with initial apprehension turning to real
and unexpected trouble because just as we begin to gain confidence moving into
the year unchallenged, life jumps up at us like the sideways, jagged rocks
hidden underneath the pile of leaves at our feet. In the end, we do the best we can to deal
with the curve balls life throws at us, even though we may turn our ankles like
a kid on ice skates for the first time when we hit that hidden bump on life’s
trail.
Life, like running, can also become very wearying at times,
and today, as 1 mile turned into 3, my body began to rebel a little bit at the
use of muscles normally only reserved for hiking a few times a year, but once
again, I found the wisdom in the ache. Trudging forward, despite the growing
soreness in my legs, I found myself in the middle of our 3-person running
group, and it was very comforting to know I had a very skilled and
understanding trail leader in front of me who always made sure no one was left
behind too far and a kind and empathetic friend behind me who made sure I
didn’t miss any of the beautiful scenic views along the way while keeping me
motivated to continue no matter what pace we maintained. And in this part of the trail run was the
most meaningful of my reflections, in my humble opinion….No matter what the
year brings, God will be there leading the way through His many skilled and
understanding children, and He’ll go above and beyond (if you let Him) to make
life even sweeter with friends and family who take the journey with you and get
you through the tough spots by simply “having your back.” And when the run’s over, and you’ve made it
through another year’s journey despite the sleet, cold, and the hazardous roots
and rocks, all that is left is to enjoy a hot meal and reflect on what is and
what will be as we complete another year.
Happy 2017, Ya’ll! I hope this year’s trail run through life brings you
as much joy and beauty as it does growth and insight! The trail may not always
be easy, but it’s so very worth the occasional pain and hunger it takes to get
through it!
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