ann kiemel

mornings.
are you a morning person?
i'm not. for me, it is like facing a
tornado and having to brace myself,
and walk through it to get out of bed.

not always.
when i ran marathons, i ran out of my
waterfront building at 5:30 every morning.
did ten miles, bathed, and was in my office
two floors below to work.

then i had babies. every mother knows that
you must be an early-to-rise person because
babies and toddlers like to wake up almost before
there is light on the horizon.

i think i'm not sure what to do with alot of my days.
either my resume' is really off-track. . . and i know i am
technically almost illiterate. . . or God just wants to unfold
life for me one day at a time because i never get a
response for jobs i apply for. i really loved the mentally-
disabled adolescents, and they seemed to love me,
but i was never contacted again. there are elderly
women who need someone to fix a couple meals,
and get them out doors to feel the warm sun on their
skin and dispense medications, but i apply and
never hear anything.

my children want me to finish my manuscript.
"mom, people love your books. that is the best
idea for you!" i smile. all the publishers wanted
me to change my style. they were interested, but
i needed to do a book with full pages; to be very
traditional. it stopped me dead in my tracks. i
don't know how to do that. maybe it's true that
my writing is from another decade.

back to mornings.
all i know is that i have to get up every morning,
and start my day with God, and see what He has
for me to do. who, in my neighborhood, needs just
a touch from Jesus, through me, today?

in my little devotional book by sarah young, i read
that Jesus wants us to come to Him with "all our
weaknesses, physical, emotional, and spiritual;
that He is our Shepherd, and we are to abandon
ourselves to Him."

such sweet words. so thoughtful and powerful.
Jesus is Jehovah Jireh, our Provider. He is Rapha,
our Healer. He is my Runner. even today, at 66,
i go to a gym. sweat-pants and cut-off tee-shirt.
i get on the eliptical (since i shattered my femur
two years ago). bow my head and ask my Runner,
my Partner, Jesus, to give me a good work-out
and talk to me. teach me. usually, i run for two
solid hours. and i know . . . .

that the next morning, i won't want to open
my eyes because i'm not sure of my purpose.
but i have four, sweet, wonderful sons, and they
are counting on me. and you all are out there,
maybe really struggling with something, too.

so, in the crack and noise of our earthly journey,
remember we stand together. run the rugged path
of life. we understand that with every victory and blessing,
there must also come sorrow and some hardship. but,
we NEVER, EVER give up. we trace God's Word with
our fingers every day, and we KNOW that what He says
is exactly what He IS: FAITHFUL to the end. my deep
love to you all.