Life is like a box of chocolates....

....as Forrest Gump so famously observed. "You never know what you'll get." Today was one of those interesting days with, among other commitments, a 10 a.m. radio interview on WVOF, 88.5 FM, Fairfield University, Fairfield, CT. I've been on this station each of the last three seasons with host Beth Lazar. Today, I felt like I could have run there faster than I drove. I left "in plenty of time," famous last words on the major roadways of Connecticut, especially I-95. Rush hour should have been long gone, but coming from East Bridgeport into downtown, I saw four lanes of traffic at a standstill. There was nothing to do but go local roads. A 15 minute trip became 25, and I walked in the studio with literally a minute to air time. In fact, one listener said he could hear me catching my breath. No doubt: I sprinted the 200 yards from the parking lot to the studio. But the interview went well, hopefully for our fundraising but also for promoting the mission of The Council: "leveraging hope, changing lives."

An early workday postponed my 6 mile run until evening. When it was raining. Pouring, actually. So inside I went at my community center's gym. The treadmill can be a beautiful thing, keeping me on pace for a 10 minute mile through the work out, no small feat for someone who is a much better "morning" runner. Tomorrow is likely an off day, owning to work schedule and plans for a long run on Friday (and therefore the need for rest before it).

One of the things I've been jotting notes about are my prayers during the marathon. I typically have a list of people and situations that I pray for: usually many more than 26, so I "double up" my intentions for each mile. One especially on my heart is our District Superintendent, who is facing chemo and radiation therapy after the removal of two neck tumors in late August. A colleague is organizing prayer partners for Rev. Kieffer, so I will await word of the days assigned to me. But rest assured I have assigned October 9th to myself, and ask that you join me in prayer for him, his wife Karen and their 13 year old daughter Olivia, that he be healed.

If you have prayers you would particularly like me to pray, reply to this blog or send me a note at brianbodt@ccgb.org and I will include them on my run. After all, life is like a box of chocolates. We don't know what we'll get. But while we may not know what the future holds, but we know Who holds the future. And that is most assuredly sweet.