Running today, I felt God’s smile.

I don’t know why I have a hard time staying in the discipline of running because every time I do it, I meet the Lord.

People in France name their homes. It’s such a lovely thing. Today as I jogged, I ran past a home named L’Oasis. I thought of what that could mean to me and I realized that oasis is one of the themes God has burned into my heart this year. He has said to me in 2005:

Speak the truth in love.

And have joy in rest.

This oasis word pertains to the latter. I thought no more about the sign other than to breathe this prayer: Lord, please continue to bring oasis to my life.

Then, as in all of life, my mind switched gears. I remembered the great paradox of the late-thirties, that I have wrinkles and acne. Strange bedfellows. I lamented the three that dotted my face. As I did, I remembered the love of my husband who never notices my blemishes. He tells me I’m beautiful even when I’m marred. He loves me despite my imperfections.

The connection in my heart came then. Maybe an oasis is a place of grace, where we all live in such a way that we don’t focus on the blemishes on ourselves or others. Certainly, that’s how God gives us oasis. He sees me, blemished soul and all, and loves me anyway. Lavishes Himself upon me anyway. The most restful place in all the universe is this oasis of grace, where we are loved as we are. That’s true refreshment. That’s true oasis.