Conditions: It was dark with heavy cloud cover with a light drizzle and a temperature of 46 degrees.
“Thang:”
“Thang:” Only me, Dynamite, posted to the ruck this morning. I got started just a few minutes after 0530 this morning. The ruck started at the Shimerville Rd parking lot and continued east onto PA Ave. I continued east on PA Ave and turned south onto 12th St, east onto Arch St, south/southeast for ~1/3 of a mile on the gravel trail to South Mountain Dr. I blazed up South Mountain Dr to just past “our usual” checkpoint when the 0600 alarm sounded. I fast walked my way back to the ‘Hive’. I was afforded the opportunity to have intimate time with God during this ruck this morning. I spent time giving praise to God for the blessings he has bestowed upon me to continue resting in His peace, despite circumstances that would wash some people’s houses away in the storm. I had a candid conversation with God about what it means to be codependent and posed the question if my relationship with Him and His with me is a form of codependency. The answer I was blessed with is no because there is nothing we can give God he doesn’t already have because he created us. I concluded that I am truly dependent on Him and our relationship isn’t a codependent one. I expressed that some feel I spend too much time with God, but I simply tell those that try to rebuke my time with God to say the time I spend with Him is what I NEED to stay connected and to fill my spiritual tank. I spent the time singing in praise and breaking down for others who are struggling to cling to something other than God during coronavirus pandemic when the song “O’ Come to the Altar” aired. I prayed for all who are panic stricken from the current external circumstances, including all of the staff at Gracedale because it was confirmed that a staff member tested positive for COVID. I found out near the end of my work day yesterday, but I witnessed how scared everyone was and I felt terribly sorry for them all because they couldn’t see past the COVID carrot dangling in front of them and just look to God for protection and hope. I prayed for protection and hope for all of the staff and that ALL, not just Gracedale staff, but globally, turn to God for wisdom, peace and hope. I also prayed for a few other people in my personal life as well. I thanked God for the blessing of time that we have and prayed that it helps all of us draw closer to Him, draw those who have no relationship with Him, to Him, and draw closer to one another as He intends it to be. Lastly, I prayed to God that he would lighten the rain until the beatdown was complete and He answered that prayer and did more than I asked, by stopping the rainfall until the beatdown was over. He received great praise for this and I was reminded of how He is using me in prayer right now to bring miracles. I reached back to the ‘Hive’ with three minutes to spare before leading the beatdown at 0630. Total distance covered: 3.4 miles.