"The road goes ever on and on"

True Trail Runners: Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Lord Of The Rings

Yesterday, someone asked me, "Do you like Lord of the Rings?"

I replied, "No, not really.  When I was in high school I watched the first movie of the trilogy six times in the theater, but that was about the extent of my fandom."

***I did write an earlier blog post called "What Would Bilbo Do?"
****I also collected Lord Of The Rings action figures during my fandom, I still have them somewhere

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I came across this Lord of the Rings quote when I was finishing up the Iowa Awake My Sole trek:

“The road goes ever on and on” 

― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit

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The last mile of the 1339 mile Iowa Awake My Sole journey.  Taken in December 2012.
Pic courtesy of Sioux City Journal 

After running and speaking across the state of Iowa for the year, I didn't get to the end of the yearlong journey, and say "I'm done with life."

I was done with this particular task, but I wasn't finished with living.  

I was merely at the beginning of something new, unknown, challenging and unexpected.

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I've seen people set a goal, work towards achieving it, and when achieved, they wrestle with "What's next?  How could I possibly set another goal, or achieve something like I just achieved?"

This road of life goes "on and on."

Where and when does it end?

Some believe it's at our last breath.  Others believe our last breath is the ushering into what's next.

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Author Donald Miller often writes about how he goes about seeking out the next adventure for his life.  He envisions the end of his life, standing before Creator God who says, "Well done my good and faithful servant."  From this envisioned encounter with Creator God, he tries to implement things that would evoke such words from Creator God.
 
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Some quotes from Donald Miller's book A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: What I Learned While Editing My Life

“It wasn't necessary to win for the story to be great, it was only necessary to sacrifice everything.” 

“If you watched a movie about a guy who wanted a Volvo and worked for years to get it, you wouldn’t cry at the end when he drove off the lot, testing the windshield wipers. You wouldn’t tell your friends you saw a beautiful movie or go home and put a record on to think about the story you’d seen. The truth is, you wouldn't remember that movie a week later, except you’d feel robbed and want your money back. Nobody cries at the end of a movie about a guy who wants a Volvo.  But we spend years actually living those stories, and expect our lives to be meaningful. The truth is, if what we choose to do with our lives won't make a story meaningful, it won’t make a life meaningful either”

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music from the Awake My Sole journey

"This is Not the End" by Gungor

Journeyman

"Journeyman"

an album by Eric Clapton's spins on the record player behind me.

I am on a journey.  We all are.  

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My endorphins are engaged.

Just got done doing some walking accompanied by seven minutes of light jogging.

I've been taking it easy.  My left lower leg has been causing me some pain over the last seven months.  

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Humbling.  

The word used to explain how I'm feeling.

Last year, could run 16 hours straight; today, 7 minutes.

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Inspired.

I read an incredible article about Scott Jurek who used his love for running to raise money for schools in Ethiopia, along with helping getting medical attention to Ethiopians. 

Seeing others create, inspires me.

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I'm a journeyman.  

Yes, finishing is important, but what's even more important is enjoying the journey that gets you to the end. 

Watching others live their journey well inspires me to live my journey well. 

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Is coffee BAD for runners?

Is your journey worth your life?

I feel like Skydiving is a cheap thrill, especially if it involves skydiving with cars.

A temporary experience of fulfillment.  Excitement and danger converge and well up within us a sense of being "fully alive."

Similar to many commercials on TV.  

A couple weeks ago I was sitting and watching TV.  There was a commercial about a girl who got a new pair of jeans, and instantly she was happy.  She started dancing like a fully alive person.  She danced on chairs and you could tell she was happy.

"If only I get those jeans, an overwhelming sense of joy and excitement will well up out of me and I'll burst apart, right?"

We are seeking things that don't fulfill and amidst this realization we still intensely seek after them.

A band named "The Lighthouse and the Whaler" have a song called "Burst Apart."

A lyrics from this song:

"The journey is worth your life..."

Since first hearing this song, this lyric has mulled around in my head.  I can't stop thinking about how essential finding a "journey worth your life" is.  Especially to finding fulfillment, meaning and purpose.

It would be disappointing if becoming "fully alive" was as easy as purchasing jeans or skydiving in some remote village.

Our journeys must be better than that.  We must be willing to give our lives to them.

What journey is worth our life?

Our life is one of our most precious gifts.

What if our ultimate purpose and meaning can be found amidst an orchestrated story with a Creator?  Where we realize, our story, our life is but a small piece of a grand scheme.

What if our life, our meaning, our story is more than ourselves, but rather about something bigger?    

The Awake My Sole journey was based out of striving after Jesus.  It's crazy to think the running & speaking portion of the yearlong journey is finished, however the journey overall journey has only begun.

Whether you are an "extreme-thrill-seeking-sports-athlete" jumping out of planes or a business woman with a routine job, you can fully be alive amidst striving after something bigger.

Ultimately I know my life is not my own, but God's, and I attempt daily to be aware of the journey I am on.

Is the journey you are on worth your life?

Silent Space

From the Book Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals 

Sometimes it is hard to find silent spaces to 'Be Still' and to 'Listen.'

We may feel like our lives are cluttered in a sea of busyness. 

When I take time to 'Be Still,' which ironically involves running a long distance without my headphones plugged-in, I am reminded of Who I am, What I'm doing and Where I'm going.

What does 'Being Still' look like for you?

Have you taken any time recently to be reminded of Who you are, What you're doing with your life and Where you're going?  

May we seek out some 'silent space' as we seek the Creator's calling and leading in our life...