I was advised by a radio dj yesterday not to run a marathon with my mouth about my experience because, as she said, "We really don't care. We don't care about your blisters or your bloody chest (from shirt rub)." But, I have to share with you three experiences that will hopefully encourage you like they did me:
1. Last year I hit my "wall" around mile 18. This year I hit it much earlier at mile 11 because of my knee injury. I thought for sure that I would see Janet at our meeting point and just walk off and go home. I then noticed that it was 10:30 am and that was the exact time my mom and others were praying for me. 1.5 million Chicagoans come out to cheer for the marathon and one way to distract yourself from pain is to interact with them. I did that quite a bit last year. This time, I decided to begin praying...out loud. I'm not Orthodox, but I read "Mountain of Silence" and learned a lot about "The Jesus Prayer" and how repeating it ushers you into deeper meditation. I began praying, out loud mind you, over and over and over--Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. I would often just pray, Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy...etc. I then began to envision, either in my mind or actually in my field of vision, Christ carrying his cross to Calvary. I saw his face cringing in pain. I saw the cross lying on his raw flesh. I saw all that he suffered on that day. Instead of a crowd cheering me on, I saw a multitude mocking and spitting on him. These words then began to form on my lips, eventually bursting aloud, "You did that for me! Thank you Lord! You did all that for me! As I prayed this, I don't know how else to say it, but supernatural strength came over me and my pain subsided and my pace increased steadily for the last 5 miles.
2. I had a distinct burst of strength come over me as I prayed. I then began to look to the crowd, having fun interacting with them. I would put my hand up to my ear as if to say "I can't hear you!" Or I would yell, "MORE COWBELL!" Timmy would often start doing cartwheels in front of me and the crowd would go crazy. When I did that, I would feel my pain again. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING came clearly across my mind, which is what I did. I began praying for everybody else I knew who was running that day.
3. Around mile 23 I was feeling good. I began to notice guys all around me dropping off. They would start walking, often clutching their legs. I gently ran up beside at least 5 guys, put my arm around them, and said things like, "You can't quit now, you're too close! Come on, a little further, you'll finish with a great time!" Every guy that I did this to smiled at me and started running again, all of them saying, "thanks man, you're right!" In doing this, my strength continually increased.
I give you 3 verses that I experienced (though figuratively) in running the marathon: Hebrews 12:1-3, and Hebrews 3:13 1Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
13But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today," so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
Timmy and I ran our second marathon together (it was his 5th) on Sunday. I had 3 significant spiritual experiences during the 26.2 miles, but I will share them later when i am not so tired in a couple days. These pictures are from mile 22 where we saw Josh, Jennie, and Simeon. By the way, the temperature was about 38 degrees and windy in these pics. AND, we beat our time from last year by 24 minutes! We crossed the finish line in 3 hours and 54 minutes. Thanks so much to those who prayed and encouraged me through this!
If you read my blog then chances are, you read my sister's as well. In case you don't, then I have to pay tribute to the queen of blog world. Leslie is pure genius. Here's a sample. If you don't read it then at least look at the pictures that she took.
I went to Nashville this weekend with my mom. I had a lot to ponder on in Nashville. When I’m away from home, without my husband and kids, it’s like I’m in an alternate universe. Like I’m someplace that exists only for the time that I’m there and when I leave, it will continue just as I left it. I am able to feel like I am watching it all happen, without really being a part of it all. The weird thing about being with family that you hardly ever see is that it can make you feel a part of something bigger than yourself, enveloped in love, protected and comforted by tradition, while at the same time feeling like you are very different from everyone and not really fitting in anywhere. You feel very alone and yet very loved. Now that I’m home, I’m not really done processing, but I am going to attempt to tell you about my family and about Nashville.
In Nashville, my Aunt Donna turns 61. We celebrate at her house with ham and beans and taco soup and cornbread and homemade ice cream. She has a constant smile on her face as she graciously and lovingly enjoys her family that comes to celebrate with her. Her husband, my Uncle David makes me sausage and coffee every morning. In Nashville, my grandpa plays guitar. He can’t see the strings anymore, but it doesn’t matter. The sound of his guitar fills the house like beams of sunlight fill the space between the trees on a wooded path through the forest. It reminds me of love and of warmth. His brothers and sister and sister-in-law come too. They play guitar and piano and lend their rich voices to the joyful sound. My mom and her sister dance to the music. When Great Aunt Carolyn sits at the piano and sings about the trials she’s been through and how God has seen her through and how He’ll someday take her home to a place where she’ll see clearly, my mom cries. When I look at how beautiful her hands look on the keyboard, I cry. My grandma cares for my grandpa with the love that more than sixty years of marriage brings. My heart feels very full when I watch her and listen to stories of her life, knowing how blessed I am at the legacy she has given me through my mom, who makes life fun and musical. We play four games of Scrabble. Grandma wins three and my mom wins one.
It rains almost the whole time in Nashville. The sound of the rain beating on the windows in the ceiling of Aunt Donna’s house binds us together as we take shelter together as a family. My cousin Bethany, her husband Albert, and their family of four beautiful daughters spend the day with us. They bring life and joy and laughter and happy exhaustion as only children can. They make me miss my own girls. My Grandpa tells me that I’m just like my brother, Josh. (We don’t have too much to say, my brother and I…) My mom’s friend from high school, Karen, takes us out to coffee and I enjoy the easy, relaxing conversation of old friends that has become a part of my heritage.
I love Nashville, with its rolling green yards and weeping willow trees and big, brick houses with no fences. It’s a beautiful place and I am blessed. I have lived my life just a little bit more this weekend.
I've never been so wishy washy about a decision in my life: should I run the marathon or not? I ran it last year and surprised myself by finishing without stopping. So this year I decided to really train and try to get a good time. Trouble is, I hurt my 'iliotibial band' about two months ago and my training has lagged. Now, a week away, the adrenaline is pumping, and I have to try it again. So if you happen to be watching the race, I'm going to try to run with the 3:45 pace group. If you see me, PLEASE yell something to me. I am very stimulated by verbal encouragement/ridicule. So you can yell, "looking good Rob!" or, "looking like an old man Rob!" and both will help me finish faster. Oh yeah, I'll be wearing these (hopefully with a matching shirt):
Ok, the latest headline says "Kerry blasts Bush on North Korea." Sorry, but this is really getting to me. It has become such a bandwagon joyride both internationally and nationally to place all blame on the cocky Texas cowboy and I'm getting fed up with it. Kerry was further quoted saying, “The president attacks the place that has no weapons of mass destruction and does nothing about the place that does.” Do people really think that we live in a country where ONE man makes all the decisions? Are we under a totalitarian dictatorship? Hardly. Kerry himself sent us to Iraq! Have we forgotten Mr. Kerry's previous position in Iraq back when it really mattered? It has been caught on film countless times, you can watch it here. Does he really think that our administration is doing "nothing" about N. Korea? Kerry says that the solution is direct diplomacy with Pyongyang. Has he, or anybody else ever successfully made it to Pyongyang, the capital of the most isolated country in the world? (documentary plug: "A State of Mind")
I was telling Janet the other night that what I have learned from the Bush presidency is that in future years I will never attack a US president the way that the current liberal propoganda media machine has these last few years. They are not only tearning this country apart, but they are also turning the world against us with their yellow journalism.
ps. who remembers the pictured wrestlers' names? They need to add John Kerry and make their outfit a trio.
Two times now in the past month I have been granted leave to go watch Monday night football with friends (we don't have cable) and both times I have been lured to the mic because it has also been karaoke night at Muldoon's. The first time I did "Keep on Rockin in the Free World" by Neil Young. Tonight it was "Patience" by Guns n' Roses.
What's happening to me? I think.. I think I like it.
I'm 28. In Graduate School at Wheaton College. Have an incredible wife, first son arrived on April 15. Have traveled to many parts of the World and love learning about all cultures that come to make up America. I am a Christian, can't specify a denomination.
