Behind the Music

I've been wanting to do a post about my playlist for weeks.  I love, love, love to run with music.  It's my absolute favorite part of running, in fact.  My playlist is 70% hip hop/pop music, and I get really into it.  I love to dance but rarely get the opportunity to, and I've often said that I kind of see running to music as a married 30 year old mother's version of clubbing.  :) Quite a few of my songs are ones that make me laugh when I realize I'm a blonde, white girl.  For example, that Apple Bottom Jeans song (no idea what the real name is) can get me up the most daunting of hills.  Embarrassing, but true.

I always let my playlist shuffle when I run, and I have this weird superstition that just the right song will come on at just the right time.  Self-fulfilling prophecy or not, it really does happen most of the time.  And for some reason I look at it like it's a conversation with God, where he gives me exactly what I need exactly when I need it.  As my dear friend Noelle's husband Brett once said to me, "Oh, like God knows you need Apple Bottom Jeans?"  OK, maybe it's not always a divine selection, but today I know God planned it perfectly.

I got up at 4:45 and headed out to do my 11 mile run.  It was dark and quiet outside, and I was running a new course through the country.  It took me over 2 hours to run this morning, yet that entire time only a handful of fast songs ever showed up on my iPod.  Instead, it was dominated by worship music.  Some of the songs I remember hearing include:
-"Stronger" by Hillsong
-"Sing to Jesus" by Fernando Ortega
-"From the Inside Out" by Kristian Stanfill
-"I Will Lift My Eyes" by Bebo Norman
-"My Offering" by Nichole Nordeman
-"Perfect People" by Natalie Grant
-and of course, "Beyond Measure", right at the start of Mile 10 :)

My favorite moment was in the middle of mile 6.  The sunrise was in front of me, a hot air balloon was in the distance, and one of my favorite songs of all time came on: "Brave" by Nichole Nordeman.  At one point I was running down the street with a gel in one hand and my other hand raised.  I can't imagine a better way to start a morning.  I was able to reflect, pray, and just worship my Creator.  Wow.

As I approached the last quarter mile of my run, I shuffled through to find my current favorite running song to end on: "Dynamite" by Taio Cruz.  It finished faster than I did, and guess what song came up next?  "Brave" again.  I'm just not so sure that was a coincidence.  I am sure that it was the perfect way to end my run and the perfect reminder of what it was all about.  I love that God is in the small stuff. :)
-Christie