This morning I completed my seventh half marathon – the inaugural Hotlanta Half Marathon. My motivation for registering was to participate in this new tradition for our city and also to check off a goal for the year as a “half-crazy” runner.  But the gift I received this morning went far beyond any of that.

One of the reasons I enjoy long runs and races in our great city is that it gives me a bigger glimpse of our community’s joys and concerns that I don’t always take the time to see. On today’s run, we passed a cluster of homeless men and women waking up after a long night under an overpass; a cluster of fraternity houses just going to sleep after a long night of their own; upscale, high-rise condos; lower-income government housing; a variety of churches, offices, neighborhoods, and more – all within a few short miles of one another. I pass these same neighborhoods every now and then in my car at a much faster rate than I do when I run, admittedly too fast to take time to notice (and that observation goes far beyond just my driving or running speed!) I am grateful for these opportunities to slow down and see our community in fresh, new ways. I pray that, in my driving and running, in my waking and sleeping, in my dreaming and praying, I will take more time to notice my brothers and sisters around me.  Soli Deo Gloria.