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From Beginning to End

"Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end."
Ecclesiastes 3:11

Again, it's been awhile since I've last posted, but I've been mentally preparing myself for the beginning of school. My son just started preschool and it's a big adjustment for everyone. But, I know we are just moving forward to a new stage of life and God has a plan for him!
A lot has happened with my running over the past couple of weeks. I broke my mile record, twice! My latest record is 8:59, but I won't be running a 9-minute mile in any half-marathons. It's just exciting to know that I can do it, especially since I couldn't run a mile in less than 14 minutes just five months ago! 

I also added two miles to my longest distance. The Saturday before last, I ran seven miles in the pouring rain! It actually wasn't quite as miserable as expected. I couldn't listen to my iPod, but the rain was much better than the heat and I felt like God was giving me exactly what I needed to get through those seven miles.

Just the way it has taken me time to strengthen my running, I also know it takes time to strengthen my faith. Sometimes I feel so frustrated, like I'm never going to be able to overcome difficult things I'm dealing with, but I am reminded that I'm not just going to automatically have a strong faith. My faith, like my running, has to be strengthened over time.

But, there is still beauty in my life, even when my faith seems to be at its weakest. In Ecclesiastes 3:11 the Bible says, "Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end." I can't physically see that half-marathon finish line when I'm in the middle of my training, but there is a special beauty in the place I currently sit. The same goes for my faith. I can't physically see my eternity with God, but there is a special beauty in the places where I find my faith growing. 

I'm at a time where my faith is really needing to mature. School is a new adventure for my son, but it's also a new adventure for his mommy. And while my heart is breaking, I am so proud of the smart, wonderful big boy he's become. I just need the Lord's reassurance that my son is held in His Hands and that my heart can endure this change in our lives.

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