Pentecost 18b - Conclusion

I’m running the Rahr Brewery 5k tomorrow morning. The run supports Habitat for Humanity and runs out of the brewery past a sign that reads “my beer belly runs faster than yours.” Last year the two things that slowed my belly down were the multiple turns right before the finish line and the smell of bacon wafting like a cloud out of the Paris Coffee Shop at the two mile mark. This year they've taken out the turns and the Paris happens within the first mile. On the down side the reverse direction means the hill on Eighth Street is up. The children of Israel hoped for an easy Exodus but leaving Egypt and working your way through the wilderness depended on trust, which they were not so good at. The law of the Lord warns the psalmist in the same way that downloading a course map helps one anticipate the uphill that last year was down. The powerful and effective prayer does not happen without practice which is why one trains for a run, even if it’s only a 5k. And while it’s not the same as removing the offending hand, foot or eye a beer belly is not something a runner wants to carry.