2nd day of Christmas

So I got a little late start on it but today’s mail inspired me to start anyway. Or at least with my gift from the second day of Christmas.
(Quick Religion lesson: The church calendar has the wise men arriving on Epiphany, January 6. This is 12 days after Christmas so one could actually count the days from the birth of Jesus to Epiphany as the 12 Days of Christmas. And why not? Let’s celebrate a little longer.)

On the second day of Christmas the Wise Men brought to me: 2 legs to walk/run on.

Of all the gifts I’m probably most appreciative of this one. Everyday I make a point to go down to the lake or into the woods, running with my ipod and well-loved shoes. There are few things that bring so much joy, refreshment and life to my body, mind and soul than a run. Even when I feel gross and my body aches, the ability to go out sets me at ease. It’s a freedom that if ever taken, would leave me dilapidated and wilting.

To walk and run and skip remind me that I have great liberty and freedom. Many people are trapped in jail unjustly. Others are stranded in war torn communities, afraid to leave their home, tent, or hole in the ground. And beyond the physical bondage comes emotional and spiritual slavery. Friends suffer from depression, overwhelming stress, fear and anxiety about the future. Families suffer from brokenness without reconciliation, abandonment or simple indifference. Brothers and sisters seek answers for the deep questions in life but can’t find them except in addictions, bad relationships and imbalance in work or play.

I have the freedom to dream and pursue it. So often I come home from a run, ready to write down all the stories, ideas, poems or goals that brewed in my head along the trail. But rather than write them, I end up getting some water and going and putting the ideas to work. Sometimes I’m simply committing myself to playing with a child after my hour absence. Just like running, the doing of dreams becomes so animated and vigorous.

On a similar note, legs help me move forward. They point toward the front and while I can run and kind of skip backwards, the legs are meant to take me forward. They keep me from being stuck in the past problems or present concerns. Bend the knee and walk.

Another reason I’m taken by my 2 legs is that they can go at whatever pace I want them to go. There are moments for quick sprints and times for slow sauntering. Some responsibilities of life require fast action and great excitement. At other points, I’ve known the need to use my freedom to move but only after reflection and evaluation of the path ahead. Regardless, they take me where I need to go and help me avoid obstacles. With legs, I find hurdling boulders and murky waters much easier than slugging through it all with no energy or drive that only legs can give.

I’m mixing a lot of metaphors but the Wise Men gave wisdom with these legs...