+FillUs

The list of things I learned from a lonesome 20.91-mile run is almost synonymous with the things-I-have-done-wrong list. First off, I shouldn’t be running alone. Running partner(s) is priceless. American Express should make a commercial out of that. Second, which is an extension of the first, I wasn’t prepared to be running alone. Last week when I did my first 20 miler with my friend, he lent me his glide, gel, and gatorade. This time, I had water and a granola bar. Although it worked out fine - aka I survived - but I could have done better. Third, I didn’t take into account the heat. Starting at 7am at around 70 degrees, it reached 80s pretty soon. Running through pavement under the scorching sun was miserable. As a result of these compounded mistakes, I had to walk a lot more this time than last and took 4 hours to finish. Despite all that, it was still a very good learning experience, which I could say as I lay comfortably on my bed with a roof (and fan) over my head.

“The work is great and widely spread, and we are separated on the wall, far from one another. In the place where you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.” -Nehemiah 4:20 Ever wonder how to balance having faith in God and working with our hands? This chapter of Nehemiah answers that for me. Nehemiah was a royal cup-bearer at the palace of Shushan, serving king Artaxerxes of the Persian empire in the post-exilic era in Jewish history. During the reign of the Persian empire, three groups of Jewish people were able to return. The first in 536 BC under the leadership of Zerubbabel, second group in 458 BC under Ezra, and finally the third group in 445 BC under Nehemiah. Three things that were integral to their identity as God’s people were restored: the Law, the temple, and the wall of Jerusalem. The book of Nehemiah records the account of the rebuilding of the wall. Though Nehemiah got the favor of the king to return, not everything is smooth sailing.