O God, you are my God I seek you
My soul thirsts for you
my flesh faints for you
as in a dry and weary land
where there is no water (Psalm 63:1)
On Monday, March 1 Cindy and I arrived in Aruba, which is a very hot and dry island just off the northern coast of Venezuela. The greatest blessing of Aruba's climate is the constant breeze, which makes the heat much more tolerable than it would be otherwise. The language of Aruba is Papamiento, which is a blend of Spanish and Dutch and probably other influences as well. The main industries of Aruba are tourism and Aloe manufacturing. We contributed to both while we were there!
Tuesday morning we got up by 6:00 a.m. So that I could for for a run. Our friends took us to a network of trails that snaked along the windward coast of the island starting at a beautiful, tiny Catholic chapel. I ran my easy 3 miles along a very rocky trail into the wind as the sun was coming up. When I dared look up from watching my feet, I thje jagged shoreline with waves crashing relentlessly as the sun climbed in the sky was breathtaking. The vegetation was primarily cacti and other prickly desert plants and the native island Divi Divi trees..
The rest of the day was spent at Moomba Beach where we played in the water and sat on beach chairs in the shade and tried really hard not to get burnt to a crisp with so much of our pale winter skin exposed to the hot, hot sun. We did a really good job on the sunburn front - no major burns to speak of due to faithful application and re-application of copious amounts of sunscreen – SPF 50.
I woke up early again on Wednesday morning to run a 5 mile tempo run. My first mile was great! I ran it in 9:30 and the second mile in 9:40 (which is really fast for me). But then I had to turn around at the 2.5 mile point and lo and behold I had been running with the wind! The last 2.5 miles were tough but I managed to squeak it out and finished just over my hoped for time. Looking back now I know I didn't drink enough water during or after that run. I had only brought a tiny 6 oz bottle to carry as I ran and I know I kept sweating for at least an hour after the run as I sat out on the balcony and ate my breakfast and chatted with Cindy and our friends. Then another day at the beach.
Thursday was a day to rest from running but we spent another full day at the beach with very little water and by Thursday night I was starting to feel a little strange. After dinner, some Gatorade and a lot of water I was feeling a little better so I woke up on Friday morning for another 5 mile run, this one at an easy pace. I don't remember ever sweating this much in my life!
By Friday late afternoon I was not feeling right at all. We made a last minute decision to go to a clinic with some concern about heat exhaustion and to make sure I was doing the right things – drinking water and Gatorade and eating regular meals. Unfortunately, the doctor at the clinic had left for the day and so they sent us to the Emergency Room. After being in the Emergency Room for 3 hours or so, I was starting to feel better. But, since we were in a strange country and I really didn't want to be sick for the last few days of vacation we stuck it out to see the doctor just in case there was something I should do that we weren't thinking of. Once the Dr. heard I hadn't been vomiting or having diarrhea he said “there's nothing I can do for you” and left the exam room. Even if that was true, it wasn't how I hoped to be treated as a worried tourist in a strange, very hot and very dry place. Fortunately, by the time I went to bed I was certain the worst had passed.
Saturday was my 40th birthday. I enjoyed a relaxed morning and a 3 hour spa afternoon with my honey complete with jacuzzi, steam room, exfoliating scrub, massage, manicure and lunch and plenty of WATER! It was luxurious and followed by a delicious evening meal at a sushi restaurant.
I ran my Saturday morning run, a mere 6 miles, on a treadmill in the workout room at the resort where we were staying and drank so much water and Gatorade after it I though I was going to burst my stomach.
I now have a whole new appreciation for heat and for the importance of hydration. At home, running throughout the winter I have hardly given hydration a thought. There have even been some runs where I realized much later that I didn't drink any water at all. But, this week of running in the sun and heat has taught me an important lesson and I am really glad to be learning this lesson BEFORE marathon day. I have already vowed to be much more conscientious, especially when running in unfamiliar places where the temperature hovers in the 80s and 90s all the time.
The authors of the Psalms knew the type of climate and temperature I experienced this past week. They knew what it was to be thirsty, to feel weak and in dire need of hydration. They knew the life giving properties of water and they knew that lack of water was a death sentence. My experience this past week with getting a little dehydrated in a hot and dry climate has given me a new appreciation for the imagery of this Psalm. It is very scary to feel sick from a lack of water.
As Psalm 63 continues, it is very clear that this psalm is a love song to God. A song of appreciation, adoration and gratitude and a prayer that reminds us that God's presence is to our souls like water is to our bodies. Without it we do not and cannot live. In the case of water, we literally cannot live without water. In the case of God we cannot and do not live and thrive spiritually without God's presence. Our dry and thirsty souls need God's quenching love and presence. They yearn for God and God yearns for us as in a dry and weary land. For water that keeps the body healthy and strong and for God's love that hydrates the weary soul I give great thanks this day. Amen.
My soul thirsts for you
my flesh faints for you
as in a dry and weary land
where there is no water (Psalm 63:1)
On Monday, March 1 Cindy and I arrived in Aruba, which is a very hot and dry island just off the northern coast of Venezuela. The greatest blessing of Aruba's climate is the constant breeze, which makes the heat much more tolerable than it would be otherwise. The language of Aruba is Papamiento, which is a blend of Spanish and Dutch and probably other influences as well. The main industries of Aruba are tourism and Aloe manufacturing. We contributed to both while we were there!
Tuesday morning we got up by 6:00 a.m. So that I could for for a run. Our friends took us to a network of trails that snaked along the windward coast of the island starting at a beautiful, tiny Catholic chapel. I ran my easy 3 miles along a very rocky trail into the wind as the sun was coming up. When I dared look up from watching my feet, I thje jagged shoreline with waves crashing relentlessly as the sun climbed in the sky was breathtaking. The vegetation was primarily cacti and other prickly desert plants and the native island Divi Divi trees..
The rest of the day was spent at Moomba Beach where we played in the water and sat on beach chairs in the shade and tried really hard not to get burnt to a crisp with so much of our pale winter skin exposed to the hot, hot sun. We did a really good job on the sunburn front - no major burns to speak of due to faithful application and re-application of copious amounts of sunscreen – SPF 50.
I woke up early again on Wednesday morning to run a 5 mile tempo run. My first mile was great! I ran it in 9:30 and the second mile in 9:40 (which is really fast for me). But then I had to turn around at the 2.5 mile point and lo and behold I had been running with the wind! The last 2.5 miles were tough but I managed to squeak it out and finished just over my hoped for time. Looking back now I know I didn't drink enough water during or after that run. I had only brought a tiny 6 oz bottle to carry as I ran and I know I kept sweating for at least an hour after the run as I sat out on the balcony and ate my breakfast and chatted with Cindy and our friends. Then another day at the beach.
Thursday was a day to rest from running but we spent another full day at the beach with very little water and by Thursday night I was starting to feel a little strange. After dinner, some Gatorade and a lot of water I was feeling a little better so I woke up on Friday morning for another 5 mile run, this one at an easy pace. I don't remember ever sweating this much in my life!
By Friday late afternoon I was not feeling right at all. We made a last minute decision to go to a clinic with some concern about heat exhaustion and to make sure I was doing the right things – drinking water and Gatorade and eating regular meals. Unfortunately, the doctor at the clinic had left for the day and so they sent us to the Emergency Room. After being in the Emergency Room for 3 hours or so, I was starting to feel better. But, since we were in a strange country and I really didn't want to be sick for the last few days of vacation we stuck it out to see the doctor just in case there was something I should do that we weren't thinking of. Once the Dr. heard I hadn't been vomiting or having diarrhea he said “there's nothing I can do for you” and left the exam room. Even if that was true, it wasn't how I hoped to be treated as a worried tourist in a strange, very hot and very dry place. Fortunately, by the time I went to bed I was certain the worst had passed.
Saturday was my 40th birthday. I enjoyed a relaxed morning and a 3 hour spa afternoon with my honey complete with jacuzzi, steam room, exfoliating scrub, massage, manicure and lunch and plenty of WATER! It was luxurious and followed by a delicious evening meal at a sushi restaurant.
I ran my Saturday morning run, a mere 6 miles, on a treadmill in the workout room at the resort where we were staying and drank so much water and Gatorade after it I though I was going to burst my stomach.
I now have a whole new appreciation for heat and for the importance of hydration. At home, running throughout the winter I have hardly given hydration a thought. There have even been some runs where I realized much later that I didn't drink any water at all. But, this week of running in the sun and heat has taught me an important lesson and I am really glad to be learning this lesson BEFORE marathon day. I have already vowed to be much more conscientious, especially when running in unfamiliar places where the temperature hovers in the 80s and 90s all the time.
The authors of the Psalms knew the type of climate and temperature I experienced this past week. They knew what it was to be thirsty, to feel weak and in dire need of hydration. They knew the life giving properties of water and they knew that lack of water was a death sentence. My experience this past week with getting a little dehydrated in a hot and dry climate has given me a new appreciation for the imagery of this Psalm. It is very scary to feel sick from a lack of water.
As Psalm 63 continues, it is very clear that this psalm is a love song to God. A song of appreciation, adoration and gratitude and a prayer that reminds us that God's presence is to our souls like water is to our bodies. Without it we do not and cannot live. In the case of water, we literally cannot live without water. In the case of God we cannot and do not live and thrive spiritually without God's presence. Our dry and thirsty souls need God's quenching love and presence. They yearn for God and God yearns for us as in a dry and weary land. For water that keeps the body healthy and strong and for God's love that hydrates the weary soul I give great thanks this day. Amen.
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