13.1 Miles of Prayer

This past Saturday I ran my first half-marathon, the Victory Junction Run to Victory Half-Marathon!

Victory Junction is a camp in Randleman, NC for children who have chronic medical conditions and illnesses.  The camp was donated by NASCAR driver Richard Petty, and his wife Lynda, in honor of their grandson, Adam Petty.

Running a half-marathon is a goal that I have had for myself for a long time.  I started running in my early twenties, and ever since I have wanted to run this race. 

However, my reasons for wanting to run it in the past are drastically different from my reasons for running it today.

Beginning probably ten years ago, running became a trend.  It suddenly became the exercise of choice.  No longer did people call themselves “joggers” or say, “I’m going out for a jog”, but that were overnight runners, and they went out for runs.  I was one of these people.  Running was fairly inexpensive, I got a lot of bang for my buck as far as burning off a lot of calories, and I liked saying that I was a runner.

Over the past couple of years, though, maybe since my husband’s heart transplant, I’ve begun to develop a different perspective about this body God has given me.  I have started to see it as a gift and me as a steward. 

So this past weekend I did not run to burn calories or get puffed up with pride.  I ran to honor God.  I ran to be a good steward.  I ran out of sincere gratitude for what I’ve been given.  And I ran for all the people who will never run this side of Heaven. 

My dear friend, Laura, who ran this race with me, had a wonderful idea and one that I used during the race.  We ran each mile for a different person or group of people, and during that mile we prayed for them. 

This is my 13.1 Miles of Prayer:

Mile 1: Jesus

• The Cross
• My Savior
• My Friend

Mile 2: John

• my beloved husband
• the 43 days he was in the hospital and couldn’t run

Mile 3: My Dad

Mile 4: My Brother

Mile 5: My Sister-in-Law, Cathy

Mile 6: My Sweet 6 Month Old Nephew, Ryan

Mile 7: John’s Family

• My in-laws
• My sister and brother-in-law, Jamie and Will
• My niece and nephews, Georgia, Rod, and Jensen

Mile 8: My Friends

Mile 9: Burkina Faso, West Africa

• Our trip in November
• Our team
• The people we will meet

Mile 10: All People Who are Disabled

• There was a long, tough, tough hill on this mile.  The young man I met last week, and thoughts of all the people in the hospital got me up this hill.

Mile 11: Those Who are in Slavery/Human Trafficking/Oppression

Mile 12: Me

• My vocational calling
• My relationship with Jesus
• My forgiveness

Mile 13: Jesus

• The One who carries me