Running Under Duress

I never intentionally run. I will walk. I will walk fast. But to run, is a painful ordeal.

Today I ran.

My office is on the same mail route as my house which can make things very helpful. If its Saturday and there is a package for the office, my mail carrier drops it by my house. This is usually a good thing but can be a "not so great thing" if the package is big. This means I must lug the gigantic package from my house back to the office. Usually though, its a good thing. But I digress.

A customer notified me of an ordering error on a package that was picked up this morning at the office along with other out-going packages by the USPS carrier. It was a slim-shot but I watched for the mail carrier late this afternoon near my house. I usually miss her.

I heard her drive by, heading the wrong direction down our street. I had missed hearing her when she drove down my side of the street. And now I saw her puttering along, about 3 houses past our house. She was driving away!

I had on my strapless, cork-heeled sandles.

Forgetting my footwear, I took off down the street, waving my arms and hollering her name. I'm sure the neighbors thought I was nuts.

I'm also sure it was a sight to behold. I would get within 20 feet of the back of the mail truck and off she would go to the next mailbox. I'd start to holler and run again, trying to reach her before she had deposited more mail in the next box. Rats! This wasn't working.

I ran past ten houses and almost gave up. But rather than giving up, I tried it again.

I reached her truck this time and appreciated her kindness in opening up her truck to hand me the package I needed. I was able to email the customer that all was well, her corrected order would be in tomorrow's mail. Whew!

I think I could call this afternoon's run: perserverance. Its not always easy to keep going in the face of discouragement, difficult circumstances, Texas heat and heeled sandals. Reminds me of the daily choices to walk on:

"For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Peter 1: 5-8