An Answer to Prayer

Just about 10 months ago, when our fourth child was nearly 6 months old, I began to run. It has been a blessing to my life in every way: It has made me a more able mom, a more even-keeled wife, a better friend. And running has increased my faith. In earlier years, I loved hour-long walks, two children in the double jogger, one in a bobbing backpack. But the addition of little Sebastian made all this trickier.

Frustrated by the drain of my daily tasks and weighed down by both the baby blues and the baby weight that wouldn’t budge, I found myself on my knees. As I prayed, suddenly the thought came to me, “What husband wouldn’t want to help his wife find time to exercise?” And so, in baring my soul to God, I was then able to bare my soul to my sweetheart. He was so happy to help. We decided I should try early morning runs, three mornings a week.

I started small — my first run was actually a half-walk, half-run, the run part totaling about 10 minutes, with my dear, avid-runner friend, Marie, alongside saying, “You can do it!” and “Just one block more!” and “I’m so proud of you!”

My runs are still modest: just a 1.6 mile jog past the Spanish tile roof of the high-school and the charming old porches of the Craftsman-style houses, past our stone church, to the stoplight and back again.

But those runs do so much good. When I am alone, I pray. I ask Jesus whom to pray for, then say strings of Divine Mercy Chaplets, one for each person or intention. The words go perfectly with my slow-ish pace as my steps seem to match the beat: “For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us on the whole world.” Usually, I finish with one decade for each of my children and one for my husband. By God’s grace, I come home better able to love them.

In this season of life, when God is asking me to use the body He’s given me to serve Him like never before, it is generous of Him to provide a way to keep it working in tip-top shape. Running gives me energy. Running keeps my heart and lungs healthy so that, God-willing, my hands, feet, arms, eyes, mind and soul can do His work.