All who are thirsty ...

On Sunday, May 2nd my entire church volunteered to help out at the annual Vancouver Marathon. Our task? Arrive at 8am in the pouring rain, set up tables and eventually hand out water and gatorade to runners as they passed by. Our station was located toward the end of the race. By the time runners reached us, they had already been running for almost two hours. They were sweaty and tired and fed up, and some were even bleeding from their blisters. It was not exactly the most glamorous way to spend a Sunday morning, but we were excited and full of adrenaline and eager to help.

Volunteering at the marathon was an amazing experience for me. Not only was it super inspiring to see people of all ages running past me, but it was an amazing feeling to know that I was playing a teeny tiny part in helping these total strangers accomplish their goal. The runners had their names printed on the front of their shirts, and we'd cheer them on as they ran past us ... "Way to go Isabelle, you're doing great! Keep going Mark, you're almost there!" It was impossible to miss the look of sheer gratitude on their faces as they reached for a cup or heard us call out their name.

I think it was quite fitting that we volunteered as a church since God seems to be a fan of marathons. You can find several different verses in the Bible where the analogy of running a race is used to describe what life is like. I think Hebrews 12:1 might just be my favorite. It is written: "Let us run with endurance the race God has set before us." After experiencing a marathon first-hand, I don't think it's a coincidence that God chose to use racing as a metaphor for life. We're all running towards something. We all have moments where we're full of adrenaline and feel like we're flying ... and other moments when it takes all our energy just to put one foot in front of the other. And we're all able to run a little better when we have people encouraging us.

My experience at the marathon has me thinking about how I encourage (or, perhaps, fail to encourage) my peers in the race of life. How am I doing, really, when it comes to cheering people on? Who do I know that might need a little cup of gatorade or a special "you can do it!" shoutout? How can I be a cheerful face with helping hands on days when it's pouring rain and freezing cold? What am I running toward and who do I look to for encouragement?

Mmmm ... just some of my thoughts tonight. :)