Altars

Running is pretty awesome, wouldn't you agree?  One of the reasons it's so great is all the reasons that someone can get into the sport.  Losing weight, competitive spirit, grew up around runners, or maybe you just want to eat a lot of donuts..  Maybe it's a love for shiny things.

Running has many opportunities for obtaining shiny things.  Race medals.  I have a small collection of them, and other running stuff, in a dresser drawer of mine.  It started as a sock/unmentionables drawer with my first medal in it.  It's two years later and I've removed the socks and undies.  Running/racing/triathlon has taken it over.  Everything from my first 5k race bib to a green wrist band that I adorned for my first, and only, triathlon.  In it there are also some non race items.  Newspapers, magazines, results books, etc etc.

I don't go into the drawer too often.  Nor do I really think about it.  My mind always is looking towards the next race.

Early on in my running "career" I thought of doing something to display my medals in my home.  Something to motivate me or perhaps a conversation starter when guests come over.  I quickly discounted this idea.  Isn't that bragging?  Or being prideful?

A couple months back we had a Bible study with some friends from our church.  We talked about altars.  In terms of the Christian faith, I thought of altars as a bad thing.  Almost confusing it with idolatry.  I thought that  it was praising something that we turn into a god.  After some good, hearty, discussion I changed my stance. Altars go all the way back to the first book of the Bible.

For example: Gen 12:7 The LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.

Altars were a way of reminding yourself of the amazing things God has done in your life.  In the Old Testament there are examples of altars being built, and then revisited later.

In comparison, my running may not be yielding fields and fields of fruit for the kingdom of God but I'm not here to compare myself.  Everyone is called in different ways.  What that drawer has inside, and what those medals represent, is an altar.  From where I've begun to where I am now is amazing in my book.  Maybe I should take them out and remind myself every once in a while..

Also, isn't being proud of not sharing race accomplishments still pride?

Any altars in your life?