Another long run down and only 7 more to go! Building up to 13.1......
Some days it is easy to get my run on and some days I try and talk myself out of it. This training session and this run on March 25th is somehow easier to embrace simply because I am not running for my glory! I am not running for me! If I were I probably would still be thinking about the year gone by and how I should get moving again.....
What I do LOVE about each of these long runs I have embraced is the encouragement that comes when I need it most....
The first two long (at those times it was 4 and 5 miles....) runs was that I opened emails saying that someone had sponsored me.
The other 2 (6.2 and 6.5 miles...) was the conversation with my Maker that kept me runnin' running'....
The long run this past week needed to be 6.2 or more. I am trying to move up .5 each week in order to get to 13.1. I know the math doesn't add up....but the training that I am doing takes us to 10 miles...never 13.1 so it will be a BIG surprise to run all 13.1!!!!
I set out with the mind set that I was going to run and relax and see where my thoughts and conversation with my Maker took me....
Here is my Boooyaaaahhhhhh 6.5 adventure........
I began running....slow slow start...movin' movin'. I was off to the school to drop off lunch money. I plugged in to my phone (I have a sweet line up of music:) and got my run on! I started with the usual thoughts....HMMMM where should I go today...6.2 is a lot of ground to cover. I don't want to run in circles and I should try to check out the neighborhood next door....Wow...those gardeners are doing a great job...Hello friendly neighbor....hmmm...there are so many people out this morning....I probably look silly jogging in place at this stop light...OH well...If I stop I will never get moving....better to look silly than be stuck here! Whew the school......
Into the school....drop the goods...out of the school....tie the shoe....adjust the earphones.....turn the music up and off I go.........
I am gonna rise
I am gonna fight, keep believing
I am gonna prove that you can count on me.
I am running across this battle line and I ain't leaving
I lay down my life cause that is what you are worth to me.
I will stand by the word I gave you til you see what a promise means.
I am your 11th hour rescue!
I am the one who set you free~
Worth~Paul Brandt
It occurs to me...
I am not only running for the Parul so she can live in FREEDOM...... FREEDOM from people who will hold her captive. People who will fill her with the idea that she is WORTH nothing. People that will rob her from knowing and experiencing what she was created to be.
I am running for me!
My story of captivity and FREEDOM.
"Stories have to be told or they die, and when they die, we can't remember who we are or why we're here."
~August Boatwright in The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
I am running for Brooklyn, MacKenzie, Ella, Lily, Eden, Olivia, Ava, Lucy, Ella, Erin......
I am running for Erica, Elia, Sydney.....IVY!
I am running for Sarah, Sam, Skylar, Jenna, Kara, Meagan, Trish, Patricia.......
I am running for girls and women in the private places of my heart that I know are in captivity and feel worthless and long for FREEDOM....
My thoughts take me to a special little friend!
I delight in my most recent snail mail from her!
I knew this mail was coming!
A sweet and precious voice called me one day and said, "Hi Michelle!"
I replied....."BROOKLYN! How are you lovey?"
"Good...Michelle guess what. I drew you some pictures and I am sending them in the mail to you!"
"OH Brooklyn, thank you that will make my heart happy."
and the conversation went on a bit about other things......
When my snail mail arrived and I opened it up. It brought me to a place of pure joy and revealing in what Brooklyn meant to me and how we came to a place in our relationship in which I was the receiver of her beautiful art work. A place where I was chosen as the recipient of her creativity and expression.
A place where I would receive her LOVE!
This relationship blossomed as I stood from afar and admired who this beautiful 2 year old was. She was strong. She was quiet. She was creative. She was beautiful and she was a girl.
I have generational family messiness surrounding girls so they are unfamiliar to me and often my own messiness scares me when it comes to what to do with girls! I also was blessed with boys and live in a home full of testosterone:)
I had the honor of watching Brooklyn grow.
I also had the wonderful privilege of watching her momma raise her.
It would be through this that I would learn.
Learn how to truly LOVE the unfamiliar that was messy for me.
Through Brooklyn and her momma I learned how to Be Your Own Beautiful (BYOB).
B's mom would cringe when people would say "Oh Brooklyn you look so beautiful in that dress" "Brooklyn your hair looks so beautiful". You see Brooklyn's momma wanted Brooklyn to know that it was not what you wear or what your hair looks like that makes you beautiful or determines your worth. She wanted Brooklyn to know and live out the TRUTH that it is your heart that makes you beautiful.
As my journey continued with Brooklyn, I watched her momma celebrate everything about Brooklyn. Even the strong willed character that would drive her momma to the brink of not smiling her lovely momma smile!
You see she was teaching Brooklyn that despite what other people feel about Brooklyn's antics and behavior she is a beautiful person. Her momma wanted her to know the ARROWS of peoples thoughts of Brooklyn is not what defined her or determined her worth.
I also watched her momma carefully do the dance of self image. Through her own eating and healthy habits teaching Brooklyn how to live a healthy life rather than worry about being skinny or worrying about what the media was saying about cute little girls. When people would comment about Brooklyn's stature her momma was sure to LOVE her regardless of the ARROWS the outside was shooting.
Brooklyn is celebrated for who she is. Fearfully and wonderfully made. More precious than rubies. Chosen for a purpose. Encouraged and edified by her momma!
When the mail came and I had pages and pages of beautiful art work I knew that I learned sooooo much from Brooklyn and her momma and all of the other little girls and momma's that were placed in my world during that time.
I learned how to truly LOVE them.
I basked in their beautiful gifts and celebrated them.
They are worth it!
~When Lily would look at her momma from the highest point in the hockey rink letting us know she was jumping. I smiled and basked in her strength, celebrating it (while her momma had a heart attack).
~When MacKenzie sat and experienced frustration because she could not get her clothing design right for her drawing I smiled and celebrated her perseverance as she worked through her frustration.
~When Ava and Lucy and Ella waited while their momma shared herself with me I celebrated their ability to practice patience and learn what it meant to give of your time.
~When Eden embraces me with a big hug after our special time together I celebrate her ability to share affection.
I know that I truly LOVE Brooklyn and she truly LOVES me.
Even though it was hard for me to understand girls and I was scared and afraid because of my own story I know that in my heart I believe in girls.
I believe in living in FREEDOM!
I believe that girls need to know they are WORTH it!
They are more precious than rubies NO MATTER WHAT ANYONE (media, family, friends, boys/men, strangers, music) TELLS THEM!
Thank you Brooklyn for being the light that shines for me as I journey to let girls know they are WORTH it!
Thank you for teaching me how to celebrate who girls are in their hearts!
And so I run for Parul and all of the beautiful girls that are given me to LOVE!
May I impact them in a way that loudly shouts out to them......
YOU ARE SOOOOOOO LOVED BEYOND WHAT THE WORLD THINKS!!! BE YOUR OWN BEAUTIFUL BECAUSE YOU WERE CHOSEN FOR A PURPOSE!
For we are his masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared long ago to be our way of life. Eph 2:10 (ISV)
A-MAY-ZING!
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