Focal passage: Ephesians 5:8-21
I began running in seminary. With the sedentary hours spent reading and writing every week, it felt good to get outside and feel my heart beat wildly in my chest. A few months into my new hobby, my sister encouraged me to sign up to run the Nike Women’s Half Marathon in Washington, D.C., with her the following spring. At first I thought she was crazy.
She had run her first half marathon in a desert while deployed, training in a month and I hadn’t even run a 5k. No way I could run with her! But, with my sister hyping me up, cheering me on when I hit certain milestones and telling me how excited she was to run together, I signed up.
During this time I also had a mentor at church who, along with her husband, taught me about hydration, foot strike patterns and pacing.
Because of those who supported me, I finished 13.1 miles around the Washington Monument, the Jefferson Memorial, and the U.S. Capitol. There were tens of thousands of people cheering us on with signs, all female drumlines and bands along the course, and a sea of other women pushing themselves to accomplish something incredible in one of the most beautiful cities in America.
I would have missed it all if it weren’t for the people in my life. In the church, sometimes I think we forget just how much we can accomplish together for the Kingdom and for Christ. That’s the beauty of the church: we have the opportunity to support one another, to cheer one another on, to run the race together.