11/14 MARATHON I had looked so forward to my friend Susie and I enjoying some much needed catch up time last night. Wed planned an early dinner allowing plenty of time for visiting. My stomach felt a little funny before she arrived to pick me up and then the car trip made it more fun. Id previously had so much nausea and vomiting from the tumorous obstruction but that is gone now. However radiation side effects means it takes my insides up to a year to heal - and Im just about six months into that year since my last treatment. SO I still have occasional nausea but not tonight, God I pleaded silently on our way to the square in Decatur. I tried hard, I really did. I talked, listened, laughed, envisioned the chicken fried steak Id already decided on - then we arrived. I told Susie to go in I would sit on the outside bench where the temperature was 34 degrees. Surely the cold air would help. It didnt but I went inside anyway where the smells of yeast rolls and fried foods combined was my limit. We exited with tears of disappointment in my eyes. Brent was in the area running errands and I called him to pick me up. Then is when I really started to cry. I told them Im just simply so tired of being sick. Thats it. Just tired of it. Then this morning I read about someone who... has it worse than I do. And yes, those people do exist. They compared their journey to a marathon. The word jumped off the page at me and I did a little... research. The Greek legend tells of a messenger, Pheidippides, running 150 miles from Athens to Sparta seeking help for the eminent Persian invasion. And how later a messenger ran 22 miles from Marathon, the site of the battle, to Athens to announce the surprise Grecian VICTORY. And thats when I realized a... marathon is exactly what Im in. When it began, over two years ago now, Id assumed I was in for a quick run around the block. Maybe a couple blocks at the most. But now I can see how Ive gone the 150 miles seeking help. Time after time Ive ran to my Source of strength. Ive ran to those Hes placed in my path for this race. They are the ones on the sideline cheering me on, they provide nourishment along the way. They make sure I have the best running shoes. I mean this both literally and figurative. They are my sister in law, my kids both biological and hand picked, my stepmom, my aunts, my cousins, my sisters and my friends. And of course there is my 66 coach. He is tough, strong, and loving all at the same time, refusing to let either of us give up or quit. I wish I could... say the help leg of my marathon was over, however, there appears to be a few miles left to go. BUT... Im going to keep going. Ive paced myself to finish the race. And THEN get ready! There will be a VICTORY RUN! And then I can say my fight was worth it! And now... you. Are you in the middle of your own personal marathon? Are you discouraged, disappointed, disgusted because you thought you were taking a quick run around the block thats turned into so much more? Keep the faith. FOCUS FOCUS FOCUS. Oh, and by focus I mean on Him and others. Youll know in your knower, as an old preacher used to say, that your victory marathon is on its way!
Posted on: Fri, 14 Nov 2014 13:21:02 +0000