running

So I started this “prayer run” idea thinking that I’d be running with purpose. However, I discovered that the opposite was true as well… having a purpose got me to run. Nothing about this morning said, “looks like a great morning for a run!” I had played volleyball for a few hours last night, which I love but, after not playing for a few months, my body used muscles it didn’t know existed and I felt them this morning. Not to mention I was up later last night in order to play VB topped off with the cool, drizzly weather.

Yet, it was no problem for me to get out of bed this morning and drive over to my route… because I had a purpose…. I was on a mission and even if it started raining, it wasn’t going to stop me. 🙂 And I’m glad it didn’t.

Since church is less than a mile from Kenmore East High, I figured I’d park there. Here are some of the things I passed and/or had the privilege of talking with God about this morning while I ran:

Kenmore East High School in general as they started their school year this week
Green Acres school
All of our FT students who attend Kenmore East and their families
I was even able to include two of their homes on my route to/around the school.
Even as I lifted up some of these students that I may not know as well, I found myself in awe of the fact that God knows every detail of their lives.
School buses and carpools making their routes. I prayed for safety on the buses and for friendships that may be formed this year on the way to and from school.
Students saying goodbye to their parents as they left their home and began walking to school. I prayed for them and whatever may be going on in their lives… that they would have good day and would somehow see Jesus in this day.
Sports fields and prayed for safety in their practices and games.
I prayed for Principal Dunnigan, Assistant Principal Ginestre and all the teachers and staff at Kenmore East that they would have the strength and energy they need for each day of this school year. I prayed that the Christian staff members would find ways to live out their faith as they interact with students and other even if they can’t boldly speak of Christ. I prayed for wisdom among the administration.
I prayed for the family and friends of Julian, a KenEast student who died of cancer this summer.
I prayed for God to work mightily in Kenmore East this year; that Christian students would shine the light of Christ into a dark confusing world. As I ran back through the neighborhood I saw students standing on corners waiting for buses and prayed for them. I thought about all the people living in the homes I was running by and how many of them probably were getting up and getting ready for the day.
I prayed for high school ministry in general and specifically ministry to, with, and for our Kenmore East Students… that while I look at ministry on a large scale, that God would use things like these prayer runs to bring it back to each individual student and what we can do to encourage them in their relationship with God and challenge them to live out their faith.
I passed Jason and Jaime’s home and prayed for them while they’re away on vacation, that they’re having a great time with their family and that they make it home safely.
Back at my car, I wrapped up my prayer run lifting up the First Trinity Preschool … the students that will be entering this building soon to learn and grow… for the teachers as they finish preparing… for the parents/families.

I am excited about this opportunity before me and can’t wait to get into other neighborhoods. I realized today that I was praying for things I would have never even THOUGHT of lifting up in prayer if I hadn’t been running right past it with open eyes. Things I frequently pass were seen in a new light when I was on a mission to be watching for things I could pray about. For example, I see school buses or the First Trinity Church Building constantly, but today when I saw these things, my first instinct was to pray.

Anyway, thanks for coming along on my journey. I invite you to lift up the above things in prayer.

Lastly, here are some pictures from my run this morning:

My prayer list (or well, what survived the nearly 3-mile journey)

Green Acres School

Kenmore East Senior High School

KenEast Sports Fields

I began my run this morning just like every other day this week… iphone in hand streaming music into my ears, my “Runtracker” app on, ready to watch another gorgeous sunrise. It was a little warmer than the other days this week and definitely more humid, but off I went, out of my apartment complex on my “normal” route.

About a half mile into my normal route I come upon Sweet Home High School (SHHS). Generally, this is just another landmark on my journey, but today, my heart and mind went back to a conversation I had with a Sweet Home High student just last night. She informed me that another student had tragically died only days before beginning his senior year. As I had looked through the memorial page someone had set up on Facebook for this student, “listening” to students, friends, and family pour out their grief of this friend, brother, son, student… I was hit in the gut with the extreme hopelessness in our world.

So, today, as I crossed the street and began running alongside SHHS, I turned off my music, put my headphones in my pocket, and simply began to pray.

I prayed for our First Trinity students who knew Austin.

I prayed for the teachers of Sweet Home. Being a teacher’s kid I know how crazy starting a school year is in general, let alone with a tragedy like this.

I prayed for Austin’s family.

I prayed for all the students who may be blaming themselves for this tragedy, asking the question “What could I have done?” I prayed that Satan would back off and the God would remove any guilt they may be experiencing, replacing it with truth, The Truth.

I prayed for everyone that knew Austin; that they’d truly be able to grieve. Loss is hard no matter what. But there’s just something more intense about losing someone so young.

I prayed for people to surround the grieving and point them to the hope in Jesus.

I prayed that our FT students would be able to be a light to their friends as they begin school on Wednesday.

I prayed… and as I passed SHHS and went farther on in my route, I kept praying.

I prayed for all high school students in the area as they start school this week.

I prayed for hope in a world that seems so hopeless at time.

I prayed for all our 9^th grade students beginning a new phase of their lives… and for our freshmen in college as they, too, begin anew.

I prayed.

Suddenly, my heart grew excited and hopeful as God placed an opportunity before me. For the last mile of my run today, God and I discussed some details of how this kind of thing, running and praying, could be a part of my ministry. Here’s the plan we ended up with by the time I got home:

Later today, when I go into work, I will make a list of all the high schools where First Trinity students attend. Then, each week I will pick one a high school to focus on in prayer that week. At least one day of that week I will drive to that area and run near the school as the students are either beginning or ending their school day. My purpose… pray and run. It’s so simple, but I’m so excited about it!!! I’m excited to be able to pray for my high school students, their friends, their teachers, their school in general and to be “on site” in a way while doing it. I’m excited to think about asking them a couple days before my run if there are certain things I pray about while I run, specific needs in their lives or that they see in their school. I’m excited to see what God has planned as begin running with purpose… I’m sure He’ll show up and I can’t wait to see what happens when He does!

(The sun rising over Sweet Home High.)

Tag: running

Kenmore East Prayer Run

Running With Purpose