Pray for Boston

In the summer of 2010 I found myself to be out of shape and very over weight. One of my best friends in the whole wide world is Father Mac. He is an Episcopal priest from St. Helena, California in the heart of the Napa Valley. Cycling and running are a part of his daily regimen as he winds his way through the finest vineyards in the world. He loves Jesus with a passionate fire that is unquenchable. I love Father Mac!

In June of that year Father Mac "forced" me to sign up for the Napa Valley Marathon which was to be held on March 6, 2011 (One day after I would tun 48). He has a big poster in his office of him and his very good friend John Livingston running the Napa Valley Marathon. He's run the race about a dozen times. Mac has even run the Boston Marathon. He encouragingly told me, "David, it's an easy marathon."  I had nine months to get ready to do something on my proverbial "Bucket List"... run 26.2 miles. I had never run more than 6 miles at one time ever in my whole life.

Needless to say the training was brutal and the weight loss of 30 pounds was welcomed. At the time I was living in Klamath Falls, Oregon at 4200 feet elevation once the real training began, which just so happened to be right smack in the middle of winter!! (Not a very smart idea!) Several things remained constant throughout my training. I never ran in the daylight (runs starting at 5:00 am). I never ran in temperatures higher than 30 degrees. I never ran in the rain. Snow was a constant threat. I even ran over 13 miles (a half marathon) on snow pack one day.

The day of the race finally arrived. It was 56 degrees and it was raining! Oh boy!! Father Mac picked me up in his truck along with our friend Phil. We drove over to another house and picked up Martha and Christine who were experienced marathon runners. The five of us huddled together in the truck and we prayed and Father Mac served communion to us.

The race began and four hours, twenty six minutes and twelve seconds later I crossed the finished line into the waiting arms of the love of my life Julie! Wow! What a day!!

The Boston Marathon was held yesterday as it always is on Patriots Day. I learned mid-afternoon that the two bombs that had been detonated near the finish line caused carnage and chaos beyond belief. I felt an immediate need to call Father Mac. We talked and we consoled and we wondered about the motives of someone or some group that would find the perverse and twisted pleasure in ruining so many lives in less than 10 seconds.

Then Mac shared this... "We haven't heard from Christine." (One of the ladies that was in the truck with us). He continued, "Yes, Christine was running the Boston Marathon today and no one has heard from her yet. Her boyfriend is going crazy over here. He can't get in touch with her and doesn't know if she is okay."

This news brought the Boston Marathon Massacre from a distant tragedy right into my own backyard.
I told Father Mac, "Please let me know when you hear something."

My iWitness...

The scriptures allude to life as running a race, really a marathon. We run this race with our eyes on the prize of the one who runs with us, beside us and waits lovingly for us at the finish line... Jesus!

How many of us have been running along through life and a bomb is detonated knocking us to the ground, bloodying us, ripping us and causing severe damage?  I can name a few to get us started if I need to...

These bombs impact us. They scar us. They scare us. The threat of other bombs down the road test us.

But one thing we do... We run! We don't stop! We don't quit! We don't lay down and curl up under a blanket and watch the world run by us. No! We keep going. We persevere! We run the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith... Run baby run!!

Keep running the race my friends. The reward far outweighs the risk!

By the way... Father Mac called me about an hour later... Christine checked in and she is just fine...

Pray for Boston...

And that's my iWitness...
Laugh often and Fear not!
David!

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."
(Hebrews 12. 1-2)