I’m leaving today for San Diego to run my half marathon (13.1 miles).  I’m excited and nervous at the same time!  When I started training four months ago I realized very quickly that God had called me to do this on my own.  I felt he wanted to teach me something.  I have been training with a team and I will meet them out in California for the big event, but I will not have my family there to cheer me on the sidelines.  However, there will be hundreds of spectators that will cheer for the team in purple…which are Team In Training participants for The Leukemia & Lymphomas Society.  But honestly, there is Nothing or No One in this world that can Push and Encourage you more than your loved ones, especially when you when you get to a place where you want to stop or when you think I just cannot do this anymore.  The BEST example of this in my life was during my cancer treatments and hospitalization.  Thinking back over that year, my loved ones spoke countless words of encouragement to me.  And sometimes they didn’t have to say a word, I could see the look in their eye it said it all, I would win the battle of cancer.  I saw Jesus in them!

The scripture I was lead to this morning was Hebrews 12:1 & 2…and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.  Let us fix our eyes on Jesus…

After mediating on those words, God spoke to my heart.  He said, Child you must look to me and NOT others as your strength.  I use others as a vessel for my love to flow through.  Once again, I realized that God is strengthening my relationship with him.  He loves for us to be in relationship with others.  He did not create man to be alone.  However, there are times when we need to be alone with God to build a stronger and more intimate relationship with Him and my race is going to one of those times.

When I get fatigued and weak in my race (which will be around mile 6 or 7) I am going to run with perseverance and fix my eyes on Jesus.  I am also going to remember ALL the love he showed me through every act of kindness from my precious loved ones during my illness and PRAISE him for the gift of life, health and perseverance!