"The best laid plans of mice and men"....sometimes things go off without a hitch but sometimes, let's just say, there are surprises! Yesterday Amanda, my daughter in law, and I ran in the Seaside Half Marathon. This was the perfect run.... Florida Gulf coast, sugar white beaches, sun, warmth...Ahhh, it was going to be great! Of course we woke up to freezing temperature and high wind advisory. Ah well, being runners (and having paid to do this) we weren't going to let a little cold weather stop us.

We made it to the parking lot where the shuttles were taking us to the start line, us and 2000 other runners. Needless to say, and fortunately for us, they delayed start time. After all, this is Seaside and they're a little bit on island time anyway. After depositing our stuff for the after race party we made our way to the start corrals. I opted to skip the ten minute milers and hang with Amanda in the eight minute corral (and by the way I passed most of those people I'm guessing so did a lot of other runners). The start sounded, I wished Amanda well and headed off towards the beautiful sugar white beaches. After about 500 yards the course curved north away from the beautiful sugar white beaches and headed straight into the wind! We ran past some stuff which I really didn't look at because I was trying to weave in and out of a mass of runners an find my place in the pack. Over a bridge and through the woods, this was definitely not going by the Gulf waters, oh well it was nice to be out running anyway. I stripped off my outer jacket, cranked up my itunes, and worshipped God through running. (After all it was Sunday morning... perfect worship!)

By mile four I found who I'd be running with, blue jacket lady, "life shines" shirt ladies, and leopard skirts. I found myself thinking about my new niece, Lily. Yes, their best laid plans had gone awry when at 37 weeks they had an emergency c-section and 3lb, 12 oz. Lily was whisked off to NICU. This has been Lily's home as she has fought to reach four lbs. and maintain her body temp. I've watched how my brother and sister in law have adapted and overcome as they became permanent fixtures in NICU and began their lives as parents there. I've prayed for them as Lily is running her own race to the 4lb mark. They have been given a most precious blessing in Lily and they are cherishing it. Way to go.... keep running Lily!

As I closed in on mile five the lead runner passed me on his way to the finish line! (This was an "out and back" run) We all cheered him on as he headed to victory. Each runner behind him also got cheers and well wishes. Some of them were too much in the zone to notice but some of them passed back words of encouragement to us slower runners. What a feeling to be encouraged by the best! I thought about how we always ought to be encouraging others, some ahead of us, some behind. "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pitchers of silver"

I was in the groove as I approached the turn around. I kept scanning the crowd for Amanda who was ahead of me; I figured we could "high five" on her way in. I was looking for a white shirt but when I finally caught site of her black jacket she was passing me and so absorbed in Amanda land we missed the high five. Oh well, I still had my best running partner and cheerleader. Yes, my sister runs all my races with me via cell phone. As I pass a mile marker I send her a text update and she responds with great little cheers: "4.. you score", "5... you're alive" "6..pick up sticks", "9...you're feeling fine", and my personal favorite, "congratulations.. I knew you could do it.. I love you". I thank God for my sister who has always been there for me... a bond like no other.

I was feeling strong and fast. Okay, so things didn't start out great and I haven't seen one speck of sugar white sand but it's been fun and I seem to be right on my best time so what the heck just run, praise, be thankful I can put one foot in front of the other. Mile 8 and all those training sessions with gazelle like Amanda are paying off. I finish my intervals with a sprint and pass blue jacket lady! Whoo-hoo. Then it hits. Mile 9 the most excruciating pain I've ever felt in my knee. I try walking it off for a few seconds as blue jacket passes me. Okay, competitive nature kicks in and temporarily over rides the pain. My mind once again drifts to Lily. She gains a couple of ounces but looses body temp. She maintains her body temp but they have to insert a feeding tube and add a whole 2 calories to fatten her up. Okay Lily if you can keep running so can I.

As the pain increases I slow my pace a little and say good bye to blue jacket as she pulls ahead not to be seen again, I do whatever it takes to take my mind off of the pain. I begin to pray for Christians around the world who are suffering for Christ. Really suffering. Not because they are weekend warriors running a half marathon but because, despite what will happen to them they boldly proclaim the gospel of peace. What is this self induced pain in my knee compared to what they are enduring? As I count off the nations to God where these brothers and sisters live the pain creeps down into my toe and up into my hip. I think about them, these bold believers and continue to run.

Mile 11, all I want to do is quit. I realize though, Lily can't quit. Believers in the 10/40 window can't quit. Jesus didn't quit. "For the joy (you and I) set before Him He endured the cross, despising the shame." I would not quit. I thought about the cross and the hours Christ endured there, just so that, if we so choose, we could be reconciled to God. I ran on.

The finish line is in sight. Soon(?) Lily will go home and life will once again return to "the plan", albeit a new plan. Amazingly I finish with a best time ( and needless to say one less toenail). With our medals, goody bags and aches and pains we head back to the shuttle bus to head home for a well deserved bath and nap. My race is over but Lily hangs in there gaining weight and taking up residence in a bassinet to keep her body temp up. She keeps running as her parents run along side of her cheering her on. The believers I mentioned do not quit but run the race, daily taking up their cross to follow the One who died for them. Keep running.

As we head home, aching in places we didn't know could hurt so much ie: a toe! we begin to plan our next one......