Restless. Sojourning. Soul. Sole.

One year ago today (December 23) the Awake My Sole Iowa journey came to completion.  Crazy to think it has already been a year.

To celebrate, I trekked some miles in the frigid negative North Dakota temps.  Yes, that is frost on my hat, and yes I am wearing 3 pairs of socks interlined with plastic bags.  

This song and lyrics sum up my thoughts and feeling today.

Restless soul, turning leaf 
Tomorrows unknown mysteries 
I'm leaving here, I end up where 
Into the unknown we fly 
We said there's no time to waste 
So hand in hand we run this race 
Let's end it well 
Escape them fires of hell 
Wander all out lives 
Till we're gone 
Pick up sticks and pack your bags let's go 
Where things grow, in the hills in summer time 
Under trees and over streams we walk and we talk 
All our days, into the night 
Into the unknown we fly 

And our hearts are beating 
And our feet they've got a long long way to go 
And our souls want to shine 
Can't you feel it from your head to your toes 

Touching down we're breaking through 
To a land that seems brand new to you and me 
And God makes three 
Lost and now we're found again 
This place playin' it's tricks on me 
Help me down from a strangers tree 
There's beauty here, but I miss it there 
Trace my path in wind and snow 
Thunderstruck I've got a place in mind 
All our time in the world, is gonna pass 
Grab your hand we've got some plans to know 
Open roads, we're together at long last 
Wander all our lives, till we're gone 

And our hearts are beating 
And our feet they've got a long long way to go 
And our souls want to shine 
Can't you feel it from your head to your toes 

And I thank the Lord, for everything He's done 
And I thank my Father, for sending us His son 
And I thank that Spirit, for helping us be one 
Helping us be one, out there on the run

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"Into the unknown we fly"

"Lets end it well"

"Our feet they've got a long long way to go"

"Helping us be one, out there on the run."

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the core pillars of Awake My Sole

Run Passionately
Run Purposefully
Run with Beautiful Feet
Run with Endurance
Run towards the Goal (Jesus)

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"Oh Lord Jesus, Guide our feet into the way of peace"

Where are you being guided?
By whom?
By what?  
By what influence?  
To where?

"Oh Lord Jesus, Guide us today for your glory's sake"

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"A sojourner is a person who resides temporarily in a place."

We runners are those with literal Restless Soles, each run a temporary sojourning endeavor.  Whether it's half a mile in little time to thousands of miles in a lot of time, we sojourn.  

I can't help but think of the Christmas story, and the wise men whose feet were guided by the star.  They were sojourners, guided by God

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Just some of the thoughts in the restless, sojourning, sole, soul of mine.

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Smelly Beautiful Feet

Would you rather, smell Jim's feet after he runs 10 miles OR run 10 miles??? 

Very rarely do my feet smell good.  

Often times after a long run OR after my feet simmer in my TOMS, they find themselves emitting odors that have those nearby gasping for air.  

Resting my stinky feet in the middle of a long run

In fact, earlier today, I was walking around with my shoes off, and in the middle of a conversation my wife stopped what she was saying and asked me to move away.
  

I would say my feet are not beautiful.  They have callouses, blisters, odors and much more.  

A blister on my feet after a 50-mile run

Many who know me, know my faith is very important to me.  I love to have conversations about faith and spirituality.  I especially enjoy dialogue with others of different faiths.  

For me, I'm a follower of Jesus Christ.  I find myself reading the Bible, what followers of Jesus call "The Inspired Word of God."  There is a passage from this ancient text that resonates with the "runner" and "advocate" in me.  It is found in the Book of Isaiah, chapter 52, verse 7.  From the English Standard Version (ESV) it reads:

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, "Your God reigns."

This verse fascinates and intrigues me.  The author writes about feet and the actions that make them beautiful.

It's as if the saying, "Beautiful feet" is a metaphor involving a movement towards things that are of the Divine.

If this is the case, it doesn't matter if your feet literally smell, you could still be a person with metaphorical beautiful feet.

  

I think about the options and choices we are presented with every single day; for example, to be a person with beautiful feet or to be a person with ugly smelly feet.  You see, our actions can bring good news, through our words and deeds.  If we go up to a person and punch them in the face that would NOT be a "beautiful feet" action.  However, if we were to go up to a person and give them a hug that would be a "beautiful feet" action.  

During the Awake My Sole journey, I've wrestled with this ancient biblical text, and will continue to wrestle with it.  It's challenging and I don't have it figured out.

What are your thoughts after reading the biblical text found in Isaiah?

How does this metaphor apply to your life?  

I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas, please add a comment.  

Let's wrestle with this together.    

:::Some more FEET pics from the AMS journey:::

After running in some stinky mud

In the middle of a run.  Resting my feet

My feet after running is summer humid conditions.  Super wrinkly and smelly.