The other day, I was listening to the soundtrack for Hamilton (the musical). One song, My Shot, pushed me down a wandering thought path about passion.

At this stage of the musical, Hamilton has hooked up with other revolutionaries who share a passion for independence and a desire to build a grand nation based on freedom.

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Contrast, life is full of it.

There is no light without darkness
There is no joy without sadness
There is no healing without sickness
There is no love without mourning
There is no freedom without bondage
There is no knowledge without ignorance
There is no satisfaction without hunger

We would not recognize the good things without contrast of the bad. If you are feeling the “good” today, you know it because you’ve felt the bad. If you are feeling the bad, know that God is sending the good your way.

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I really hate to run.

I’m somewhat embarrassed to admit it, but I have never been good at pacing myself. Even when I was young, I gasped for breath as I tried to cross finish lines. I really don’t know why I struggled so much – Allergies? Poor technique?

Or, maybe my brain just kept telling me I couldn’t do it. Hmmm.

A few years ago, I went running with my husband. We’d walk for a bit, then run until we reached an agreed-upon target. On this particular day, I was keeping up well and we had nearly completed our run. YAY!! But then…Bob tried to stretch me past the final target. “Run to the next tree,” he said.

“NO WAY,” my brain cried out.

I stopped. And cried. A lot.

Sometimes, as I run the “Christian race” I feel as I did in that moment. I want to please God, to serve others, and to keep pace with the “saints” around me. But…my brain keeps me from pressing onward.

Thankfully, the Apostle Paul provides encouragement and example to help me keep the pace.

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2020 Vision. August. The hottest summer on record for where we live. August is always hard, but this year . . . I won’t even remind anyone of everything we have already suffered through already.

I am a “morning person,” and I like to spend time in my garden in the morning before “it gets hot.” That phrase is kind of a joke, but the heat is relative, as the mornings *are* a little cooler than later in the day.

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In this day of COVID quarantine and social distancing, I have often felt a bit like I am under “house arrest.” Living in a prison. Deprived of personal contact. My lovely home (that is really a tremendous blessing) has, at times, felt more like a chamber of doom. Perhaps you have experienced some of those same feelings.

In times of trial, I try to look to ancient believers for inspiration. For my COVID “funk”, these three immediately come to mind: Joseph, Peter, and Paul.

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