Lost

This last Friday, I had a meeting at Jitters Cafe.  I ran there from my home, 7 miles away.  As you can see from the pic below, I indulged in a wonderful-seasonally-themed-mid-run snack.

Coffee and Donuts at Jitters Cafe in Sioux City

After my meeting, started on my way back home.  Decided to take a different way back.

After about a mile of running in unknown territory, came to a dead end.  I was Lost.  I knew I was in Sioux City, but seriously had no idea where I was.

Lost on the back roads of Sioux City Iowa

I back-tracked about a mile or to where I got off the known path and ran home.

I didn't mind the extra miles, but it was a significant moment for me as a runner, and for life.


What I learned, specific toward running:  Going off the known path might get you lost.  Getting back on the path, might mean backtracking.  When lost, or on the unknown path, you experience new places.

What I learned, specific toward life:  In life, the known path can be comforting.  It can also be numbing.  We may get caught up in the routine of this path, never breaking away to experience new things about others, God or ourselves.  When we go on the unknown path, a tension exists that helps stretch who we are and who we rely on.  Often times allowing for possible growth.  However, if we are stretched too much, it may often lead us to giving up.  There needs to be a healthy balance between the two.

If you are all about routine and structure, may you be challenged to try something creative and new.  If you are all about seeking the unknown, may you be challenged to seek routine in your life.