As much as I complain from time to time, I was pretty hooked. Trust me, I'm no runner at heart, nor did I run at all when I was younger. Okay, there was that one time I joined the track team back in 9th grade. However, it was not because I loved to run, or was good at it. I was an overweight chubby girl that needed to lose a few pounds. (I never did lose the pounds during that track season) I eeked through that track season, and luckily, don't remember much about it now that it's been 20 yrs later. Other than the horrifying 1990 Track photo. That, along with many other high school photos, will haunt me, as well as my girls shoving them in my face with insane laughter, "That was YOU?"
Since January, I've been running pretty solid. I'm attempting to run a half marathon in a couple of weeks now. My 10k race was my first test at seeing how Iwould hold up. They held it at Burnt Hickory Baptist Church, just right around the corner from our house. An added bonus was that they were raising money for their students going on a missions trip. So I was able to run for a reason, a purpose. Don't get me wrong, running just for health and feeling good is just fine. There is nothing wrong with it. But to me, I felt like all the training I've been doing, the work involved, I wanted to have a foundation, a good cause I could support. So many people who run races and marathons usually run for a cause. It could be for Breast Cancer, Parkinsons, Alzheimer's, the list is endless. However, as I had been searching online, looking at different causes to support, nothing really spoke to my heart.
Maybe a week later, my friend, and neighbor shared with me an amazing trip she was recently on. She was able to be a part of a ministry called Inheritance of Hope. You see, it was founded by a couple, who the wife is suffering from terminal liver cancer. She began this foundation in hopes that they can give families wonderful memories together with their families, taking them on trips, Disney World, amusement parks, etc. Most of the funding is done through marathons. I was like, "Ding, Ding, Ding!" The lightbulb went on. I searched their website, read through these families testimonies, as well as the founders and how they began, and I was so inspired.
With my half marathon fast approaching, unfortunately there wasn't much time to gather and organize a fundraiser on behalf of Inheritance of Hope, but I'm hoping for my next race to get involved. Please take a minute to check out the website and read through some of the families testimonials. Sometimes in our own lives we stress and have many things weighing us down. But as I read what these families are facing, knowing that your spouse/loved one will soon be passing, and raising your children without their mother or father, I understand my problems seem so miniscule and petty.
I challenge you to check out the website www.inheritanceofhope.org It truly makes you sit back in awe of some of these families and for me, makes me want to cherish my health, as well as my family, and strive everyday to be the wife, mother, and daughter that God has called me to be. Colossians 3:16-17
