I am not a runner. I
grew up down the hall from a brother who was a runner. I spent my freshman year of college rooming
with a runner. I even married a
runner. But I am most definitely not a runner.
You know that old saying, “I’m a lover, not a fighter”? Well, in my world it has always been more of:
“I’m a singer, not a runner.”
Seriously. Jr. high school – I walked
every mile we were ever forced to “run”.
High school – I took four years of marching band and never once attended
a PE class. College – I knocked my
required hour of physical education out of the way with one dreaded Monday
morning, 7 a.m. karate class simply because it was a surefire way to get my graduation
requirements covered in one semester. Me
– not an athlete. Singer? Sure.
Instrumentalist? You betcha. Attendee at sporting events? Only if the marching, jazz or pep band was
providing entertainment. Or if the Vocal
Ensemble happened to be presenting the National Anthem. And/or I had a good book in tow. Sports and all things related to them… just
not my thing. Like I said, I’m a singer,
not a runner. Or a swimmer. Or an outfielder. Or a whatever…
But I am learning.
Learning to do what I can.
Learning what it really means to take care of me, not just those around me.
Learning whole new ways to use my time and talents to serve the Lord,
and actually learning it with gladness.
Learning that perhaps the “new” me really is a runner somewhere deep down
inside this old color guard/marching band/choir music-oriented exterior. Or at least some sort of walking-running
combination anomaly. And I’m learning what
it means to set challenging goals for myself that force me to push beyond my
comfort zone, doing something I never thought I could do in order to find ways
to keep doing the things I’ve had a passion for forever.
"Teach us to number our
days to get the most out of them" -Psalms 90:12
You see, here’s the thing, I love orphans. I mean I LOVE them. I really
LOVE them. I love everything about them (except
the fact that they are orphans, of course). I love providing for them. I love
supporting those who care for them. I
love praying for them. I love supporting
other families as they adopt them. I
love bringing knowledge of their existence and needs to the awareness of
those not yet hooked into loving them too.
I love learning what makes them tick and how institutionalization
impacts their lives. And I love raising
the three who are no longer orphans because they call me “Mom”. And for the past ten years the Lord has
provided me innumerable opportunities to do all of these things.
So here I've been, left struggling with a desire to play an active role in the orphan care and awareness circles, yet finding no way to really act in what feels like a meaningful way. And then Mickey Mouse entered the picture.
Literally.
As in… Mickey Mouse, meet Jesus. (And seriously, how often does that
combination happen?)
"On earth men that will die
receive our tithe, but in Heaven Jesus that lives forever is receiving our
tithe" - Hebrews. 7:8
All of my life I’ve been taught: Serve the Lord with your time, your treasures
and your talent. And I have tried to do
this. Am I perfect? Of course not. Do I continually fall short? Of course I do. But I make a conscious effort to do what I
can when I can and look for opportunities where I fit. I committed a long time ago to tithing at
least ten percent of all income and do so faithfully. Throughout my life I have given of my time to attend
and lead Sunday School, Bible studies, and worship services; I’ve attended
studies, workshops, worship services, fellowship events; stuffed bulletins,
cleaned buildings, organized fundraisers, etc., etc. And I
have put my musical talents to use for His service since my age was still in
the single-digits. Not to say any of
this makes me “good” or “better” or “holy”, but just to give a few examples of
how I have tried to live out what I believe.
And yet, I still fall short and continuously
strive to do better. Not to prove
anything or one-up anyone, but simply in an effort to successfully show even the
slightest sliver of my gratitude for all that He has done for me.
"If God will be with me,
and will keep me in thy way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and
raiment to put on . . . of all that thou shall give me I will surely give the
tenth unto thee" - Genesis 28:20-22
And that brings me back to running. The other day I was walking on my treadmill,
flipping through a recent issue of Runner’s
World when I came across an ad for the 2014 Walt Disney World Marathon
Weekend. And for an insane moment I
actually thought, “Hey, I could do that.”
Totally crazy, right? I mean, I
like the half-marathon thing, but a FULL marathon? 26.2 miles?!
In one day!? Without dying? A non-runner like me?
That is just crazy. Pure
insanity. So much so that I soon after
texted my Florida-living friend that I wanted to do it just so she would have a
good afternoon belly laugh.
But then I couldn’t shake the idea. The ad just kept nagging at me. And that’s when God stepped in. That dang “Something Crazy” song by SCC began
to continually play in my head. You
know, that song that we purposely played on the radio after telling the older
girls I was pregnant with Ellie – child number FOUR. The same song that served as a jumping off
point for Jack’s adoption – with ZERO funds…
The song playing in the background of my life as I quit
my teaching job, I traveled to China with a friend I'd never before met in person, I moved all the way across
the country as a single mom with five kids..
And that is all it took. I was
hooked.
A full marathon? Why
not? I just walked/ran a half-marathon
with very little preparation and didn’t die… Surely I could actually train for
a marathon and survive to cross the finish line, right? Even if it does turn out to be a week later
and long after dark... And I could do it for something. A reason.
A cause. A chance to SHOW
HOPE! And, well, at that point, there
was really no turning back. What started out as
a joke intended to bring late afternoon joy to a tired mom across the country,
suddenly became a hope and a dream and a realization that God has given me a
brand new way to advocate for orphans in a way I positively, never ever
imagined. Because running a marathon is a whole other world than
putting on a benefit concert or hosting a bake sale.
But that’s okay. I’m game. I’m in. I’m ready to do it. My “old” ways of advocacy may be out of the picture for now, but this one I can do. I can give my talent - because I can run and I can walk. I can give of my time in training even if it comes in snippets here and there between doctors’ appointments, laundry and dinner prep. And although I don’t have the treasures to cover the costs, I can surely trust that if I give what I do have than God will provide the funds for anything He plans because If He can get me to China in 2011, He can certainly get me to Orlando in 2014!
But that’s okay. I’m game. I’m in. I’m ready to do it. My “old” ways of advocacy may be out of the picture for now, but this one I can do. I can give my talent - because I can run and I can walk. I can give of my time in training even if it comes in snippets here and there between doctors’ appointments, laundry and dinner prep. And although I don’t have the treasures to cover the costs, I can surely trust that if I give what I do have than God will provide the funds for anything He plans because If He can get me to China in 2011, He can certainly get me to Orlando in 2014!
"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it." - Malachi 3:10
So, what am I running for? I will be running as a registered Show Hope Advocate raising the funds to cover one life-changing
surgery for an orphan with heart issues. I would love to run for two
surgeries, but that is still under consideration… For now, I am planning to fully fund ONE surgery
which means raising $3000. And why heart
surgery you might ask? Well, mainly
because my son received not one, but two, such life-saving surgeries while an orphan and I
will forever be grateful that they were possible. Here in the States, with medical insurance
and whatnot his recent heart surgery was simply a matter of jumping through
hoops, but as an orphaned infant in China life-saving interventions were made
on someone else’s dime in someone else’s dominion and provided by someone other
than a family. All orphans need
families. But some orphans need
life-saving interventions while they wait.
"Have a good testimony to
the unsaved by using your time wisely" - Colossians 4:5
And so I’m in. I am officially, and purposely, going to sign up for and run 26.2 miles all in the name of orphan care. I will plan. I will train. I will sweat. (I will hurt...) And come this fall, I will ask you and everyone else I know (and hopefully everyone you know…) to sponsor me as I raise not only the money needed to provide an orphan a physically healthy heart, but as I also strive to raise awareness of the spiritual and emotional needs of that same heart. So, yes, that means please start praying now for how God might lead you to help me through prayer, time or financial support... or maybe a small bit of chocolate.
And so I’m in. I am officially, and purposely, going to sign up for and run 26.2 miles all in the name of orphan care. I will plan. I will train. I will sweat. (I will hurt...) And come this fall, I will ask you and everyone else I know (and hopefully everyone you know…) to sponsor me as I raise not only the money needed to provide an orphan a physically healthy heart, but as I also strive to raise awareness of the spiritual and emotional needs of that same heart. So, yes, that means please start praying now for how God might lead you to help me through prayer, time or financial support... or maybe a small bit of chocolate.
And, yes, in some ways I know this entire idea is completely insane, but
that’s okay with me too. One of my new
favorite books is MILE MARKERS by Kristin Armstrong and one of my favorite
passages is her statement of purpose. On
page 38 she writes, “I need to be living my life in such a way that if I knew
my expiration date, I would continue living just as I am. I wouldn’t want to
have some grand epiphany, an impetus to change everything, or a sudden desire
to travel the world and leave my normal life behind. I want my normal life to sparkle with the
allure of the ordinary and speak to me, just the way it is.” And that is where I stand. Am I crazy to commit to training for a 26.2
mile run when some days I can’t even find enough free minutes to take a shower?
Probably. Am I going to commit to it anyway? I sure am.
Why? Well, because as Steven Curtis
Chapman sings, “you really don’t know Love at all until It’s making you do something
crazy".
I know that
there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they
live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find
satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. - Ecclesiastes 3:12-13
Oh, and did I mention I have somehow managed to talk my
brother into running this marathon with me?
Yep, he says he is committing amidst great fear and trepidation, but
still I think he has caught the bug. Or
at least he’s willing to run a really long way with me. Honestly, I'll take him either way. Now I just have to talk him in to helping me
raise money so we can fund TWO surgeries not just one. Crazy, you think? Well, what can I say? I figure I’ve got a pretty good shot - apparently,
insanity runs in the family.
Two are better
than one,
because they have a good return for their labor:
If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
because they have a good return for their labor:
If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
(Sorry, I couldn’t resist since we are talking about a marathon here… and at least I didn’t say “… a
time to die.”)
Learn more about becoming a Show Hope Advocate here:
Show Hope Advocate
Learn more about the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend here:
Walt Disney World Marathon
***
I will be setting up an official fund-raising system when I begin serious training this fall, but if you would like to help with the cost of my travel and registration for the Walt Disney World Marathon a donation of any size would be appreciated. I will be cutting costs wherever I can, but some things are simply what they are. Race registration is set at $160 and due in April. Airfare and a race-close hotel room for the night before the marathon (I will be staying with friends as much as possible) will run about $400-450, and a rental car for just the weekend will cost about $180. Donations may be made via the donate button on Jack’s blog (www.foraplace.blogspot.com) or I can provide you a mailing address. And, of course, ALL PRAYERS for this endeavor are appreciated.
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