36 Days Left/ PART 3

Today: Rest, and some repairitive Yoga
Walk/ prance! : 3 miles
I ran 27.65 miles this week so far, and I will be adding 19 tomorrow. Some marathoners would think that was lame, but I think having only one run be under 5 miles is great. Thus, I'm giving myself a pat on the back for finding time to run this much and while pushing a jogger too.


PART 3

I'll never forget the night I came to find refuge in my mother's love. I was always a very happy kid, but during fifth grade, I had come to feel rather useless. I didn't consider myself self-pitying, just lost in direction.

I told my mother that I didn't see the use in my place in the family or outside. I was lost, I felt stuck in being the kid that struggles in school in all aspects, and just didn't seem to have any real role anywhere. Why was I on earth? What good was I to anyone? I was not suicidal at all, I was just... lost.

Well, my mother was very inspired. I can't imagine my own heartbreak if one of my children came to me lost, and feeling out of place even at home.

It was no one's fault that I felt that way, mind you. I had a great family. Sure, I was the youngest, and thus constantly trying to keep up with the older ones only to always come out short. But that was just life I guess and a learning process.

My mother took a deep breath. She reminded me of a song that I sung so much, I took for granted. "I AM A CHILD OF GOD" .

"Do you know what it means to be a child of God?" She said. I found myself thinking, of course I do, but then started to doubt that I knew any deeper meaning.

"Well, just like you get your shyness from me and your talkativeness from Dad; you have spiritual traits from Heavenly Father. And just like you have the ability to grow up physically like Dad and Me, you have the ability to be like Heavenly Father. Your His child too. You have the ability to become just like Him. It's all there inside of you.

You may never quite fully understand this or how much He loves you, in this life. You probably can't imagine how great each of us can become. Now number of mistakes, or short-comings can change that. It's just that powerful. Isn't that great?"

Now I didn't memorize all my mom's words, but this is basically what she said. This is also something that I still ponder to this day. It empowers me. It reminds me of just how fatherly Heavenly Father is. It reminds me that each moment is a new beginning.

Knowing this somehow gave me some resolve. It's like a switch went on in my head. Thus, nothing seemed out of reach. A challenge was definitely worth rising to. Failing was never failing but a stepping stone. Running became a constant reminder and often an expression of this valuable lesson.

Everyone has turning points in their life, or something that influences many of our decisions in life. I'm thankful to the Lord who sent me a mother who knew just what to say, at just the right time.

P.S. here's some more pictures from the holidays.


-Allison took this photo of Jed and I in out in our Christmas Eve Snow. There really was a lot more than the photo caught.