Something you should know

It seems like there is a lot of darkness in the world right now. I don't know about you, but I get more than my fill of bad news every day. The recent death of a close friend in Haiti has brought all of this even more into focus for myself and many of you. I just needed to tell you all that, if you're reading this and you're one of my friends, you have brought light into my world. Whether you're a brief acquaintance or a close friend or family member, you have made a difference in my life. I know it sounds trite, just some sappy thing to say to people, but when the darkness gets so overwhelming, sometimes the littlest lights seem that much brighter. So thank you for helping to light up my life in these otherwise dark days. Don't worry, I'm not having a nervous breakdown, and I'm not deeply depressed. I just needed to tell you all that, in the midst of a world that we struggle to make meaning out of, you mean something to me. And you may not believe in God like I do, but you need to know that you mean something to God, too. "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."

Oh, and this wasn't some goofy forward. Even though it maybe sounds like it, it wasn't written by a junior high girl (if you're one of my Confirmation students, just, well...you know you write goofy stuff). This is me, Bryant, saying thank you for being my friend. If you have something to give to those suffering in Haiti, please give. No matter what, keep shining your light into our weary world.

*end sappy note to friends*
*resume listening to "pants on the floor"*

It's been a while

I ran for the first time in quite a while today.  There were several reasons for taking a break from running and several reasons why today was the day I started again.  I haven't run in a while because first, we got hammered by snow over Christmas.  Then, we were out of town to see family at the end of December.  Then, when we returned home, we found Minnesota had remembered that it was supposed to be cold during the winter.  The short days with sub-zero temperatures were not good for my overall morale, and not being able to run outside really started to get to me.  Then, when the weather finally started to warm up, I went and dropped a table on my left foot.  I thought maybe I'd broken my big toe at first, but thankfully it was only bruised.  It's still very black and blue, but the pain is gone.

So, with the weather improved and my toe on the mend, it meant that I was finally able to get back out and run a bit today.  I didn't push too far, only going about 3 miles.  I'm glad I didn't go farther as my feet and calves are a bit sore this evening.  It looks like warm(er) weather is supposed to be around for a while, so hopefully I can get back into shape.  It's amazing how quickly the muscles in your feet lose strength when you don't exercise them!

So there were many reasons why I was thankful to be able to run again today, but perhaps the biggest was because I really needed to do it to help grieve the loss of a good friend from seminary who was killed in the earthquake in Haiti.  I know running may seem like a strange way to mourn to some people, but it will make sense to you if you're a runner.  After hearing the news, my wife (who is nearly 8 months pregnant) said this was the first time in a long time she felt like she really needed to run, but couldn't.  I suppose some people run just for the exercise, but those who truly love to run understand that it fills a lot more needs in our lives than simply burning calories and getting an aerobic workout.

So this morning, as I ran through the foggy and frosty Minnesota prairie, I prayed for Ben, his wife Renee, his cousin Jon, and all their family and friends who have been devastated by the news of Ben's death, and I prayed for all the other people whose lives have been torn apart by this horrendous tragedy.  I came back feeling drained in nearly every possible way, but still trusting that God will fill us again.

It's Official

I'm officially registered for the Half Marathon in Fargo on May 22, 2010!  Here's the proof:

Now all I have to do is figure out how I'm going to run 13.1 miles in basically what amount to rubber foot gloves...ah, details!  I've been starting to gradually strengthen my feet by going barefoot in the house whenever I can and doing some simple stretching exercises.  It's amazing how I used to take my feet for granted, but hopefully I can turn around years of neglect and get them back into shape.  Strong feet make for a strong runner.  Actually, come to think of it, Isaiah knew that a good pair of feet can do some pretty amazing things, too.  Maybe I should get a shirt printed for race day that says, "Blessed are the feet of those who bring good news!" - Isaiah 52:7  Maybe prayerfully getting my feet in shape can be another way to think about preparing myself for the daily tasks of ministry.  I wonder where my feet will take me to share the good news today?

Winter is here

The first real snow of the season blew in earlier this week, and although we didn't get as much as they did to the south, we still have a few inches on the ground.  The real trouble is the wind is fierce and the temperature has plummeted.  It looks like winter may be here to stay for a while, so that means it's time for me to ponder what to do about my running.  I could run indoors over at the school, but that means getting up extra early so I can be out of the building by 7:30.  We'll see if I can make a commitment to doing that.  Also, running inside or on a treadmill seems kind of like a prison sentence to me.  I really don't like it.  I have enough cold weather running gear that I could probably make a go of it outside as long as the windchill is around double digits above.  It might get there this afternoon, so I'm waiting to see if I can run in another hour or so.  Some work needs to be done in the house first!

I also have been blessed to be joined on this journey of discipline and self-improvement by one of my best friends who's also a pastor.  Together, I know that we can both achieve our goals.  It's also a blessing to know that this process is going to keep me more closely connected to someone I miss and care about.

Why I love rural ministry

I love being a pastor, mostly because I feel called to do this work, but also because I love people.  I especially love small town and rural people.  While they tend to be reserved at times (understatement of the week), I have not been disappointed in finding reasons to smile every day while serving with the people here.

One of my most recent examples of the little joys that keep me smiling is a conversation I had with a farmer the other day.  Our family had briefly stopped at his house to drop something off, and of course had to chat for a few minutes.  Somehow the conversation turned to his cattle (they had just bought some new calves) and he ended up telling me a story of one time that some of his cows got out.  He got a call from someone who said they thought some of his cows were running down the highway into town, 5 miles away!  He said, "No, those can't be mine."  The person asked if he had any cows with white faces and orange ear tags and he sheepishly said, "Yeah."  Sure enough, some of his cows had gone for a run down the highway (right on the centerline, no less) all the way to town, where they were spotted by the elementary school.  He went into town, gathered them up, turned them around, and away they went, running all the way back home, right on the centerline again!  Hearing him tell this story was entertaining enough, but the clincher was when he concluded the story in typical Norwegian farmer deadpan, "Well, at least they didn't go into the school.  That would have been embarassing!"  I just about died laughing.  I love these people!