I Endure....

I endure so that they don't have to.

Team Living Water from Living Water International on Vimeo.

Many of you know that I run for Team Living Water. I run and raise money so that others may have clean, fresh, water. Water that sustains physical life. Water that sustains spiritual life. For when the wells are dug, the gospel is also shared. A physical need is met, but a spiritual need is also given. You see, there are two kinds of water given to these people. Hope is given, thirst is ended. I love this. Love this. This year the theme of TeamLWI was, "We endure so they don't have to."

I have been absolutely blown away this year by the generosity and support of my family and friends as I have taken on running the Half Marathon for LWI. I have to admit though, a half marathon didn't seem like that big of a challenge to me. I have run several (6 or 7) and I knew I could do it. I use the runs to pray for the people who will be receiving the water and I use the runs to pray for the gospel to be spread. Some transparency here, the runs weren't endurance for me. I could do it, I knew I could do it. As the dictionary defines it, endurance is the ability or strength to continue or last, especially despite fatigue, stress, or other adverse conditions; stamina.

Running 13.1 miles is usually fun for me. I didn't relate to the tag line until race day. I had been sick the week before, had unusual stomach cramps two days before the race, and to top it off I overdressed on race day, hence I got too HOT and felt super nauseous on the course. I wanted to quit, to hang it all up. A mental block set in with the cramps around mile 8. It was THEN that I remembered, I endure so that they don't have to. I press on towards my goal, my finish line. Each step I took, I now truly took for them. The thirsty, the hopeless, the ones I had raised money for. What a humbling, but awesome, experience (and life lesson)>

This video kept coming to my mind. The picture of an African child splashing water on his face that I saw two days before at LWI HQ flashed through my mind and then it came to me, "I endure so they don't have to." Each step I took, through the pain, the nausea, the cramps, the mental block, was for them and ultimately for the LORD.

As I reflect back, I wish I had done a bit better. I was mad at myself for not listening and taking the extra layer off. I was upset that I had to slow down. I know I could have personally done better, but I am reminded that the race is not about me, but about Him and about ensuring that Living Water is taken to the ends of the earth.

As Grayson reminded me, "you don't run for the medal, mommy, you run to save lives."

Today as I ran, I felt light on my feet, thinking of all the lives I can help save NEXT year on January 13, 2013.