005 – Almost Daily Devotional – Why Do We Run?

(Updated Show Notes - May 2025)

Episode 005 – Why Do We Run?

Originally recorded: July 16, 2006

This episode introduced what I called the Almost Daily Devotional—a space where I shared short, spontaneous reflections that came from the middle of life, not the pages of a plan.

The insight I shared here came while doing the dishes.

Makenna, our youngest at the time (just 16 months old), had done what she often did in those days: she’d wandered into the bathroom, taken something she wasn’t supposed to have, and when confronted—she ran.

Not to hide. Not in rebellion. But with the instincts of a child who knew something felt off, but didn’t yet understand the why behind the boundary.

And it made me ask myself:

Why do we still run?

Why do we move away from Presence when we feel conviction?

Why do we choose momentary gratification over alignment—knowing the outcome will come calling?

In this short devotional, I reflect on that question. Not with guilt. Not with shame. But with curiosity. And compassion.

I also close the episode with a song by Eric Vardaman titled “Seek Your Face.”

If you’ve ever felt yourself reaching for something not quite aligned…

If you’ve ever run, not because you hate the rules, but because you forgot the relationship…

This one’s for you.

✨ What I Believed Then

I believed that sin was often subtle, but still damaging.

That our disobedience caused grief to God, even if the act itself seemed small.

I believed that much of our misbehavior stemmed not from evil intent, but from immaturity—a childlike lack of understanding about the impact of our choices and the depth of divine love.

I also believed that conviction was evidence of the Spirit’s presence—nudging us toward alignment and deeper relationship with God.

🌱 What I Believe Now

I still believe we sometimes step out of alignment with truth.

But I no longer describe that as “sin” in the traditional sense.

I now understand that what we call disobedience is often just forgetting who we are.

And God is not grieved in the way I once imagined. God is not offended. God is with us—always guiding, always calling, always loving.

Where I once saw discipline, I now see invitation.

Where I once feared the grief I caused God, I now trust the grace that never flinched.

And where I once assumed my spiritual “mistakes” needed correction,

I now know they were just part of the remembering.

🔥 Why I’m Leaving This Episode in the Feed

Because this moment was real.

Because it reflects how devotion shows up in dishes, diapers, and early Sunday mornings.

Because my daughter taught me something that day.

And because I want you to know… the quietest insights are often the most lasting.

This episode isn’t polished.

But it’s presence.

And presence is what I live by now.

Cliff