A Little Help from My Friends
|
|
|
"But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant."
(Matthew 23:11)
RunDisney 2020 was a blast. It was so cool running through all four Disney theme parks: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios. It helped keep my mind off the pain my body was experiencing.
My average time for all the races was about a 10-minute mile, and I was happy with that. I came in 128th place out of 424 men in my age division. There were over 14,000 people who ran the marathon on the last day. Many were praying for me, and I was so grateful. At mile 17, I taped a brief video on my phone, sent it to Great Hills Baptist Church, and they showed it in church that day. I know people were praying, because my right knee, which has been a problem, held up!
I saw so many people helping and serving others. No joke, there had to be a couple of thousand people serving as volunteers during the four days of the races. The Disney employees and those who were at the parks were so kind and affirming. Complete strangers would cheer on the runners and give us high-fives. Rob and Darlene's daughter, Christina, and her three kids, met me at mile 20 of the marathon and gave me some salt and nutrition. That was a lifesaver for me. I had forgotten my salt and gels, which is a big no-no in running. It took a big effort to locate me in the race and get to a point where I could go over to them for the much-needed nutrition. Let me tell you, if you ever embark upon long distance running, please know that you will need lots of hydration, nutrition, and encouragement.
I am happy to say I finished all four races: 5K in 30 minutes, 10K in 64 minutes, half-marathon in 2 hours 13 minutes, and full-marathon in 5 hours and 10 minutes. I am so happy I was able to do it. Thank You, Lord!
|
|
This reminds me of a couple of verses in the Bible: Proverbs 13:12, "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life," and Proverbs 13:19, which states, "A desire accomplished is sweet to the soul."
I met some great volunteers in the medical area. After the marathon, I went to the medical area where a woman named Rachel greeted me and asked if I needed help. I said, "Yes, I need ice on my knees, and I have the chills." Rachel is studying to be a P.A. She wrapped my knees and then got me some water. I thought that would be all, but she said, "I am going to stay with you." I think at my age and with the chills, she was a little concerned for my health. I ended up having a great conversation with Rachel. She told me about her boyfriend who is studying to be a lawyer, and I got the opportunity to share with her and pray for her. She walked me out of the medical area and was just so kind. Three days later, I noticed she signed up to receive our Daily Devotionals. I sent her an e-mail, and she responded by saying she hopes these devotionals will help her in her faith. I thought that was so cool. Rachel, like so many I met during RunDisney, exemplified true servanthood.
Who will you serve today? The greatest among us, Jesus said, are those who serve.
|
|
Grow your influence using Jesus’ own techniques
How can you influence the ones you love most and help them discover the joy and peace of life in Christ? Learn from the greatest influencer of all… Jesus Christ!
Pastor Danny’s brand-new book, For the One, clearly explains how you can use Jesus’ own techniques to influence the ones you love—and win their hearts for eternity.
|
|
|
|
