Several years ago, my friend Mary and I formed a running club for kids. She and I had been wanting to do it for quite a long time and when it finally happened, it took off quickly. So many kids joined that we had to limit registration until we got enough volunteers for the hundreds of kids who wanted to run.
The above photo was taken at our annual Jingle Bell night. Right before all the kids arrived, this small group gathered around with me to set up. It was so cold out, but our hearts were warm and the fun we had was unforgettable.
Today I am unable to run temporarily because I have a broken leg so when I came across this photo and began to think back to those days, my memories of one of the greatest experiences of my life gave me such a boost. I will heal up eventually and get back out there and I hope I can find the joy in running I once had.
One of my greatest memories of all time happened with this group of kids one Saturday morning. We were running in circles in an elementary school parking lot when it began to rain. At first, it was a light rain, but it quickly got much stronger. I told the parents of these kids that as long as there was no thunder and lightning and as long as the kids wanted to run, I would be there and they could stand under the covered porch to watch.
Instead of coaching from the side, I began to run in the rain with the kids. Soon, the parents did the same. No one stood under cover to watch and no one left. It was raining so hard that it was slapping us in the face, but it never thundered so we kept on running. The more we ran, the more we laughed. We jumped in the puddles. We skipped sometimes. We ran and some of the parents held their children's hands as they ran and laughed and played. Suddenly, we were all filled with a joy like I never had experienced before or since. In fact, some of the moms were so happy they began to cry.
I have no idea how to explain it, but running in the rain that morning was one of the top uplifting moments of my life. It was like God Himself showed up to run with us and play. I could feel His presence as He ran through the parking lot and the puddles in the rain with the kids and us grown ups. There were no thoughts of the pressures of life. There were no discussions about problems or work or the issues of life. There was just laughter and joy and running around like care-free children.
Later that week, I received so many text messages and emails from parents telling me that the rain run that Saturday had a huge impact on their entire week. They and their children were still talking about it days later and eventually, months would pass and I was still getting emails from parents telling me that this run changed them in a profound way, reminding them that life can be good. It was the simplicity of it that made it so profound. We were lifted up mentally, spiritually and emotionally while just acting like kids enjoying life a bit.
There are moments in life that are truly devastating. Darkness exists and it can so often grab us and choke the joy right out of us. When that begins to happen, I suggest that you go out and run in the rain. If you can't run, go out and dance in the rain. If you can't dance, do it anyway! Splash in the puddles. Sing at the top of your lungs outside in the rain. Let the joyful waters from Heaven pour upon you and soak in the joy of God Himself as you run or dance or sing or splash in the rain!!!
