Yes, that is a screen shot from my phone. I don’t think I habitually overuse emojis, but I may have been accused of emoji abuse once or twice in my life.
Last week I succumbed to worldly pressure and started an Instagram account. In my defense, you kind of have to if you’re going to survive in the business world today – especially if you’ve just started one of the hottest new food concepts in the Midwest.
Can I just admit the whole process has further confirmed this nagging, aching feeling that I’m getting old? First off, I had to ask my 22 year old daughter how to set up the whole thing and how to actually hashtag. Then there’s the issue of IG etiquette and that I couldn’t figure out where to check messages or how to “like” someone’s comment.
On Facebook, by now I would’ve simply clicked the “feeling dumb” emoji thingy.
So, it’s been a week since our big restaurant grand opening and an even bigger feat: ME figuring out Instagram. I was told by my 19 year old that I should turn on notifications for IG on my phone so I don’t miss any important messages. And because I’ve made it my personal mission to reply to EVERY customer Facebook and Instagram comment. Now my phone is blowing up.
Feeling a bit overwhelmed, I decided to go to my happy place yesterday for a little run and much needed alone time with Jesus. I hopped on the path and instantly began to enjoy the sights and sounds of the reservoir. And not staring at the world from a 5.5×2.5 inch iPhone screen.
A slightly breezy, cool morning at the reservoir. Not a lot of people. An elderly man speed-walking was fast approaching from the opposite direction. He looked familiar. As our eyes met, he smiled and gave me a “thumbs up.” I reciprocated. That’s all.
I realized I had seen this man several times before on my regular runs here. He always gives me the “thumbs up.” But this morning it hit me in a new way. It was a real life “Like.” And I hadn’t even posted anything on FB or IG.
I missed this. Just good ol’ face-to-face interaction with other humans. The next person I passed smiled at me. I sent her the “smiley” emoji back.
Another elderly man passed from the other direction; and I smiled at him, but all I got in return was the “frowny-face-I’m-in-pain” emoji.
“That’s okay,” I said to myself.
I often pray when I see elderly folks out on the trails or people struggling. I pray for them and also that, by God’s grace, I will still be running when I am their age. Three “prayer hands” emojis just went up.
And this went on for the rest of my run. Enjoying life away from the screen.
Not my best run by a long shot – really more of a detox run. But wait… Did I really actually run cuz everyone always says if it’s not on Facebook, it didn’t happen. Insert “shocked-look-hands-on-the-face” emoji here.
I got in my car and instinctively reached for my phone. For once I was thankful I wasn’t getting service. I just sat and enjoyed the view and my coconut water. “Peaceful face” emoji.
On my way home, I stopped to get my usual raw beet juice blend but changed my mind when I got there and tried something new. It was a vibrant, enticing, beautiful hot pink Pitaya bowl with coconut. As I dug into the first bite, I once again shifted back into foodie Instagrammer mode and took no less than a dozen selfies of me and my bright pink meal. Hey, it happened to match my bright pink running visor! How could I not take a few selfies?!
Dork. Yeah, I’m THAT person.
Being that it was such a gorgeous day, I strolled around a bit and found a new place to sit and do some post-run stretches. More selfie photo opps. I ended up sitting underneath this behemoth statue and writing most of this blog post entirely on my phone.
I thought about posting these selfies.
No. Stop already. No one cares about your lunch matching your outfit or where you choose to do your stretches. At the end of the day, no one is saying “Dang it! How can I sleep tonight not knowing what she ate or whether she stretched after her run?”
My other struggle this week was realized and came as a result of being limited to 150 characters for the Instagram bio! At first I thought I was allowed 150 WORDS. And even THAT would be a challenge for me. I’m embarrassed to say how long it actually took for me to condense it down to the 150 character max. Every time I hit the submit button and the warning box popped up about exceeding the limit felt like my high school AP English teacher handing back my essay rough draft AGAIN.
I finally got it down to the 150 characters. When I have some spare time (aside from writing this blog), I intend to send IG a strongly worded letter expressing my discontent at their limiting my freedom of expression to a mere 150 characters. Followed by a long string of all the choicest unhappy, exasperated, angry, crying emojis.
When I break this whole thing down and ask God why I’m like this, He patiently, gently, firmly, articulately tells me what I’ve known all along but often deny. I vehemently hate being misunderstood. Let me be abundantly clear on this point. I REALLY don’t like when my intentions and thoughts are not understood.
Perhaps this is precisely why God’s Word has stood the test of time and why He instructs us to not add or take away from it. Under any circumstances.
God Himself was THE Master of brevity. After all, who else can be introduced as “I Am” without any other descriptive words or phrases? Three characters. Five if you count the space and a period.
Exodus 3:13-14 (NIV) ‘Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”
God also said “My grace is sufficient.”
2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV) ‘But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.’
Is my “need” to feel understood due to a lack of understanding His power and ability to speak through me? Or that sometimes I don’t need to speak at all? Or my arrogance in believing it could be MY own words that draw people to Jesus?
I have prayed the 2 Corinthians 12:9 verse (the part about His power made perfect in my weakness) countless times during almost every race I’ve run these past eight years. I mean who wouldn’t want that God-boost when you hit the wall at Mile 20? Kind of like adding the “kaboom explosive” emoji with the “runner plus puff of wind” emojis all at once.
I feel like God is redefining why I run. I think we all know “comfort zones” can be dangerous as they often prevent us from trying new things, innovating, improving, or just seeing things in a new light.
Ironically, technology and social media have recently shined a new light on an old area for me. People time. Just enjoying good ol’ face to face interactions with people. Even if it’s a simple thumbs up from an elderly man passing by. It’s about seeing Jesus in all situations. Every detail. All surroundings. Any passerby.
Running and races are quite the platform for human interaction if you really think about it. Where and how else would you EVER be able to gather that many people together that have paid money to subject themselves to possibly the greatest physical and mental challenge of their lives? A camaraderie like none other. Every runner feels like quitting at some point during a race, questions all life choices leading up to that moment, or says “I am never doing this again!” During the most difficult portions of the race, we can be reduced and whittled down to the weakest versions of ourselves.
Yet at the starting line only a few hours earlier, we showed up as the best version of ourselves. All our months and miles of preparation leading up to race day. Nervous optimism. Standing in the start corrals, there are two types of runners: talkers and non-talkers. Some talk incessantly because they’re excited and/or nervous. Some don’t talk at all or even make eye contact because they’re also excited and/or nervous. I’m probably somewhere in between. But I used to be more of the latter. “Don’t talk to me and I won’t talk to you. After all, I could get distracted and forget to start my Garmin. Then my pacing will be off. I won’t know when to eat my gels. I’ll be completely off my game. There goes all my training. And say goodbye to any PR.”
Insert “rolling eyes” and “laugh until you cry” emojis here.
Almost 200 races later, I’m starting to think this is why God said His grace is sufficient. For some, this might’ve become clear after that first marathon. But apparently I didn’t get the message that first time. God knew what was ahead. He already knows ALL my moments of weakness – on and off the race course. As a newbie runner, eight years ago that Bible verse simply meant trust Jesus during my weakest, vulnerable moments.
Today that verse means way more.
His grace is what allows me to get to the starting line. My weakness is who I am. My weakness is why Jesus died and rose again. He is the reason I get to do this thing I’ve come to love so much. Running draws me closer to the One who created me because it has become the only way I know how to lay aside the notion that I can accomplish anything of worth through my own power. Whether it’s the first step in a race or the fifty-thousandth step.
No doubt, words are powerful. The difference with God’s Word is that each time you read it, you’re spending time with Him. Just let that soak in for a moment. You’re spending time with the Creator of the Universe, the same God who commanded the waters to part and the dead to rise. WHY would He be interested in my little life? Or my running? Or what makes me happy? Or what causes me pain?
Because He just does.
Psalm 17:8 (NIV) “Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings.”
Psalm 37:4 (NIV) “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”
Psalm 37:4 (MSG) “Keep company with God, get in on the best.”
I love that last one. The Message version of one of my long time favorite verses.
In true form, I have once again gone waaaaay over the recommended word count for a blog post. So, I will simply conclude this one in the best way I know how and at the risk of being misunderstood:
“Lime green heart” emoji.
