At some point I will journal about this whole experience
from start to finish, but at this time, I feel some special thanks are in
order. And how appropriate as we prepare for Thanksgiving! Each of the
following represents an opportunity for me to give honor and glory to the One
from whom every good and perfect gift comes.
1.
To our great and awesome God, the faithful God
who keeps covenant and steadfast love, for His enduring faithfulness and
graciousness. His power and mercy sustained us during the long hard process of
training and especially during the race itself.
2.
To my amazing family—immediate and extended—who
supported this endeavor from start to finish, even if they didn’t understand
it! (Ted constantly reminded me that “the first guy to do this run fell over
dead after delivering his message!”) Their prayers and encouragement were vital
during the whole process. Special thanks to our 5 older kiddos who prayed for
me and cheered me on from home while their daddy worked long hours…and thanks
to my hubby for stalking me online the day of the race, praying for me as I
crossed each checkpoint. Without his love and support, I definitely would not
have even attempted this endeavor.
3.
To Hannah and Tuba, who took care of our little
boys the entire time I was in Athens, allowing me to rest easy knowing they
were happy and healthy and having so much fun they barely knew Mama was gone.
4.
To Mission of Light, a ministry close to my
heart, for giving me a passion and purpose for running this race…not for any
personal or earthly glory or crowning achievement, but for God’s eternal
kingdom.
5.
To my amazing and incredible teammates, who
deserve their own line of individual thanks! But as a team, I am grateful for
the group dynamic that pushed each of us to achieve our goal: physically,
mentally, spiritually.
6.
To Julia, the first one to actually agree to do
this marathon with me! Without her agreement, I may not have pushed forward
with this crazy plan! She even got the ball rolling by setting up our Facebook
group page, which was a valuable means of communication and encouragement. Her
enthusiasm and passion for both running and battling human trafficking was a
huge encouragement to me.
7.
To Lisa R, whose knowledge of the human body
helped me tremendously in deciding how to handle the times when my body wasn’t
functioning properly and whose indefatigable spirit served as a reminder of
just how powerful our mental and spiritual states are when it comes to
attempting the nearly impossible. Lisa’s previous marathon experience was
invaluable in so many ways to all of us.
8.
To Tirzah, my running partner during the race
itself, who graciously pulled back her pace during the first ¾ of the course so
that we could pray together for 40+ women whom Mission of Light has served.
Songs, Scripture verses, and prayers shared during our time together enabled me
to push far beyond where I have EVER gone before and gave me the mental edge to
pull out a finish at the end. I am forever grateful for the opportunity to
spend that time with Tirzah and the Lord together—I know that if I had been on
my own, the experience would not have passed as pleasantly or as easily! THANK
YOU, dear friend!
9.
To Emily, whose “keeping it real” personality
kept us smiling throughout the ups and downs of training. Despite struggling
with her own doubts, she was a constant cheerleader for her sister as well as
our whole team, and the radiance she showed while be-bopping into the stadium
at the finish line proved that perseverance is its own reward. What an amazing
example she is for her own family and everyone around her!
10.
To Libby and Grace, whom I had never met before
we piled in the Suburban to drive to the Rome airport, for providing a constant
stream of witty remarks that kept us all in stitches. Laughter truly is the
best medicine, and these girls are forever part of my fondest memories of this
whole trip. Their willingness to join this crazy journey without knowing anyone
but Emily and without really knowing much about Mission of Light has blessed me
beyond description.
11.
To Thea, our natural encourager, who kept
assuring me that if I had birthed 7 children, completing a marathon would be a
piece of cake (even though she had done neither of those things prior to this
experience!!). Thea’s love and concern for everyone around her oozes out of her
very being, and her support for our cause helped us spread the word to the
ladies of PWOC and beyond.
12.
To Abigail, who truly did throw off the things
that hindered as she persevered to rock her THIRD marathon this year! Her participation
in the ministry of Mission of Light as well as teaching a PWOC class AND
balancing her roles as wife and mother all serve as an example of walking by
faith and letting God’s grace be our guide.
13.
To Lisa and Nate, whose tidbits of experience
were so extremely helpful as we packed and planned for the actual race. Lisa’s
encouragement was especially meaningful to me as I struggled through my foot
and back injuries and questioned the wisdom of even attempting this marathon.
When she helped me think through the idea of simply walking the course and
still finishing within the allotted time, I was strengthened in my resolve to
just do it!
14.
To Erin, who joined us later in the planning
stages and was a delight to our team and a special encouragement to her aunt
Lisa R.
15.
To Shauna, my dear friend, hotel roommate, and
organizer of our actual travel details. Without her fortitude and commitment to
planning the perfect agenda, we would have experienced so much stress and
heartache! Instead, the whole journey was SUCH a blessing and a memory-making
time that we will never forget! What a joy to take a trip that I didn’t have to
plan myself AND to spend it with such a dear sister in Christ!
16.
To Susan and Rachael, who, along with Shauna,
were wholeheartedly committed to cheering for our team. It was SO wonderful to
see them at the finish line! And all the little details like buying us treats
to enjoy after the race, bringing food back to the hotel when we could hardly
walk, and so on…THANK YOU, ladies, for the in-person cheering!
17.
To Mackenzie, whose commitment to our team was
absolutely God-inspired. Though she chose not to race with us, she remained a
part of our Facebook group and offered support, information, and encouragement.
Her marathon “care kits” full of treats for the PWOC racers blessed us all, and
the idea for a marathon relay on Support Site the day of the race was
definitely an inspiration that provided a unique avenue of prayerful support
for the racing team as well as the fundraising efforts for Mission of Light.
18.
To all those who participated in the SS relay
team—you have no idea how much you blessed and inspired us! You may think it
was “just” 5K that you ran, but your efforts represent so much more.
19.
To all the wonderful women of PWOC, who prayed
for us and supported us in amazing ways. Special thanks to Brooke for praying
over our team before we left.
20.
To Dr. Silva, who assured me that I would, in
fact, run this race!! Thank God for a wonderful chiropractor!
21.
To Ersilia, my new friend and physical
therapist, who helped me get through the back episode that set me back in
training but allowed me to learn and experience growth I wouldn’t have
otherwise.
22.
To Regina, whose spiritual marathon this year
was definitely inspirational as I prepared for this physical marathon. Chap.
Keith will always have a special place in our hearts, and more than once I
heard his voice in my mind, quoting Scripture to keep my eyes focused on Jesus.
23.
To Audrey, who encouraged me to try the Couch to
5K program when I wanted to start running again after feeling so out of shape
following pregnancy, bed rest, and delivery of another baby. Audrey, I thought
of you when I reached the 37K marker as I told myself I only had a 5K stretch
left to the finish line! To think that I started C25K in January and just
completed a full marathon!!! To GOD be the glory!
24.
To Nick, the kind Greek man who asked if I
needed help when I stopped to stretch a cramp in my calf toward the end of the
race. Upon hearing I was turning 40 and had 7 children, he encouraged me by
telling me that the finish line of the Athens marathon would be an incredible
experience…and he was right!
25.
To the wonderful people of Athens who lined the
streets and cheered us on, particularly toward the end of the race! Though we
were far, far away from the elite runners, their unflagging support was such a
boon to weary bodies!
26.
To all the volunteers who passed out water, iso
drinks, bananas, and more to help us refuel. What commitment!
27.
To all those who prayed for ANY of us at ANY
point during this journey…I truly felt we were carried along on the wings of
all those prayers during the race.
28.
To those who have financially supported the
ministry of Mission of Light—you have helped us feel that our efforts were not
unnoticed or unappreciated. May God bless you for your generosity.
29.
To our church family at Il Faro for their
prayers, blessings, and encouragement.
30.
And finally, to Jeff Galloway, whom I do not
know personally, for all the information in his book about the walk-run
approach to marathon training. Despite my injuries, I was able to complete 26.2
miles, in no small way due to my decision to run 4 minutes, walk a minute.
Though I dropped the walk breaks at the end (it hurt too much to start running
again, so I just ran!), they helped me tremendously during the training that I
did complete and during the race itself.
“Therefore, since we
are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses,
let us throw off everything
that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles us,
and let us run with
perseverance the race marked out for us.” Heb. 12:1
“To God be the glory,
great things He has done!”
P.S. If you wanted to support our team financially, it's not too late! Go
here to donate. Thank you, and God bless!
|
Names of 40 women we prayed for during the race. Shown with our team shirt. |