"Come what may, I want to run." There words are spoken by Ahimaaz, son of Zadok in 2 Samuel 18:23. He wanted to run to King David with the message that the rebel leader Absolom had been killed. But this good news for the armies of David was also heartbreak for the king. Absolom was not only an insurgent, he was also his son.

Even though Ahimaaz was warned that his news would not be well received, he still wanted to run with the message. (What happens when he gets there is another story for a later post...) My Bible's commentary says nothing about why he wanted to run so badly, but I speculate that his reasons for pleading to run are not that different from mine.

Granted, I don't usually run to carry messages from place to place. I have been known to run my books back to the library or my mail to the post office. But put me in a stressful situation, especially stress of my own making, and I want to run!

When my weekly mileage is up, I can better handle the pressures of our modern world. When the running shoe is on the other foot, and I'm not getting my miles in I just don't feel as "Stacy" as I should. Not every run is great. Most are just average, getting it done kind of runs. I have run with tears streaming down my face and with joy bursting out of my heart. I have run in the dark with a headlamp because I needed a "mommy break".  My best running memories are crossing finish lines with the other B & B girls, but I also cherish those first few running-walking-gasping runs of five years ago.

Thousands of years and many cultural differences separate Ahimaaz and me, but our sentiments are the same. Come what may, I want to run.

What about you? What makes you want to run? Please comment below.
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