1. It didn’t matter: where you came from, Nashville or Kenya(yeah, they crossed the finish line before me)//if you were dressed in the latest most expensive professional runner garb, or if you had a pair of cargo shorts and work boots on(that wasn’t me // how old or young you were//what color you are//if you had run in dozens or a  handful of marathons or if this was your first//if you started off running then transitioned to a walk, then ran across the finish line//it didn’t matter…the fact that you were running the race and were part of the journey was enough to be accepted “as is”. People weren’t hesitant to say hi to you AND introduce themselves AND start a conversation. no wonder 34,000 people don’t mind getting up early on a Saturday morning…

2. People I didn’t know or had ever met, cheered me on while running/walking: so encouraging!  I didn’t have to be part of their group for them to notice or acknowledge me.  It’s just what they did – like they were looking forward to the next person or group coming around the corner – anticipation…no wonder 34,000 people don’t mind getting up early on a Saturday morning…

3. Not only were these unknowns cheering, some went above and beyond by giving me fresh-cut fruit from their front lawn: I mean, I paid money to run…they paid money to keep me going – and all I had to do was say “thanks” and keep going. They didn’t ask for anything in return…but it did help me look forward to the part of the race that took me down the other side of the street.  I wanted to come back…no wonder 34,000 people don’t mind getting up early on a Saturday morning…

4. Everyone was moving the same direction: Perhaps the biggest one of all, although certainly not reality in life…in most cases anyways.  I didn’t have to be concerned with wanting to move forward but having someone coming directly at me-or side-swiping me at that. It was a great visual of Tim Elmore’s habitude “Rivers & Floods”.  The mass of people were like a river, continual fluid motion in one direction, all headed towards the same goal.  Not like a flood going all over the place bringing destruction to everything in its path. No wonder 34,000 people don’t mind getting up early on a Saturday morning…

5.  Some runners that finished, walked the end of the course in reverse (on the side and out of the way!) and cheered on those that were still going: Really? when done, I was ready for my shins & ankles to sit in an ice bath for 10 minutes then add some Canadian ice cause it’s colder, right?  How amazing it was to have those that had gone before come back and encourage us that were still going.  They didn’t have to, they could have gone on and formed a group all by themselves and talked about their journey, how it was for them…or how they did it better-but they didn’t. They pulled the ones that were coming behind them. No wonder 34,000 people don’t mind getting up early on a Saturday morning…

Which brings me to Sunday morning. Hey now, don’t go there.  This is not a slam against any church by any stretch, after all I work at one. However, I heard someone say this once: “If there is even one person within driving distance of your church that hasn’t had the opportunity to know Jesus, it’s too small.”

Here’s to running the race and being part of the journey,

Nick

Insecurity is something we all deal with from time to time and this is what I was eluding to with those comments.  The feeling of  ”not measuring up” or whatever messes with my mind from every now and then.  The few blogs that I do read are worth reading…filled with intent and great thoughts that challenge who I am!  So, didn’t mean anything to anyone…again, just working through my own insecurity and moving forward!!!  That’s where the whole idea came from to write for my kids hoping one day they’ll read and keep some of it with them – so there, I worked all that out with you guys!

Nick

Right now, my heart is overwhelmed with this question: “How am I going to be a blessing to others this season?”. The question isn’t “how CAN i be…” but “how AM I going to be…” there’s a BIG difference in those two questions. The latter, suggests to make a list. How many times do i make a list and fail to get to it, or put things off OR rush through them ONLY to check them off? The answer to that question is more scary when actually answered The question “how AM I GOING TO BE A BLESSING” suggests the need for determination and oozes with the thought that I’m going to have to be tenacious (thank you to my 9th grade basketball coach for that word) to achieve an answer and flesh it out. Of course, it didn’t take long to find my answer.

We’re at the tail end or our december series “reason” in our youth group (@connect_sm!!) talking about the reasons behind “Jesus is the reason for the season”. What are those reasons, what are His reasons?  HE really is my favorite person to preach/teach on in a non-cliche way. So studying His life led me to this conclusion and my answer for now… One of the biggest ways Jesus was a blessing to others is that He saw people. When He looked at someone it wasn’t a glance, He saw them. He saw them right where they were at in their present circumstance or life situation but it didn’t end there. He went beyond that and saw every person for who they are in Him.   He saw what they were missing, what they needed and who they could be…in Him.  I think sometimes all people need is to be “seen” like this –  to notice their present state of life but to not get stuck on that…to not stare at them and think about how we COULD be a blessing to them while continuing to stare and walk by.  Rather, to think about and act on the question “How am I going to be a blessing to them”.

Well, we’ll see how this blogging thing goes…if I don’t feel the need to put some stuff down before, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Nick