Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Psalm 51:10
I was missing one-half of the new pair of winter running socks I received at Christmas, and it was driving me crazy. I looked through the drawers. Checked beside the washer and dryer (a magnet for socks apparently in the past). Asked Jackie if she’d seen it. All failed to solve the mystery of where the sock was hiding.
I found another pair of socks and went running, carrying the frustration of not being able to locate the missing sock. As I ran through the familiar roads of the neighborhood, waving at folks with a “Good morning” in appreciation for the space they shared with me as they passed by, I attempted to forget about the sock. At the 2-mile mark, I noticed my pace was off, and I attempted to pick it up a bit, only to find myself thinking how much my glasses were fogging up, how it was too cold, and if I’d had my new winter running socks, I could run faster. Ugh. That missing sock.
As I approached the end of my run, a car came up behind and passed me, turning right into the next driveway. A woman quickly jumped out and shared a friendly “Good morning,” followed by “Good for you running on such a cold morning.” I thanked her and found myself buoyed by her encouraging and friendly greeting. I prayed a quiet prayer of confession for my negative attitude and frustration over the missing sock.
During my walk back to the house, I pulled my phone out of my left armband so that I could check my numbers on the running app. I stopped for a moment and, while looking down at my phone, noticed my jacket was bunched up on the upper right side. So I ran my hand down it and tried to figure out why it was not hanging correctly. And then I realized what was going on.
The missing sock.
Sure enough, when I reached up and underneath my jacket, my hand found the missing sock clinging to the inside. All I could do was laugh out loud, shaking my head at how all this played out this morning during my run.
In a matter of a few minutes, my entire attitude shifted after a friendly greeting and finding the missing sock. If only I had looked inside.
Joan Chittister said, “All we have in life is life. Things – the cars, the houses, the educations, the jobs, the money – come and go, turn to dust between our fingers, change and disappear…the secret of life…is that it must be developed from the inside out” (Illuminated Life, Orbis Books, 2000, page 14).
As we approach the season of Lent, Chittister’s words help me see the need to invest energies on the inside. I am thankful for all the ‘outside’ work I get to do alongside other folks committed to the ministries and missions they are doing. I dream about new ways to reach new people for Jesus and celebrate the initiatives and innovations that are creating opportunities for relationships to flourish. It’s exhilarating work, watching ministry come to life and witnessing lives being transformed.
With all the opportunities to share my energies in this ‘outside’ work, I need to give attention to the inside. John Wesley encourages us to practice works of piety, which includes personal and family prayer, searching the Scriptures, and fasting or abstinence. Each of these practices focus our attention on the inside, fueling our energies, restoring our hope, and sustaining our faith in the One who breathed the breath of life into us.
If only I had looked inside. Lent offers us that chance, my friends, and as you lean into the next 40 days, might I encourage us to use the psalmist’s words as a breath prayer?
Breathe in:
Create in me a clean heart, O God
Breathe out:
and put a new and right spirit within me.
Thanks for running with me today, 
David