A Lot of Miles Left
Posted on Tuesday, May 19, 2015 by
My friend and I have spent hours training together. We each run with just one headphone in so we can talk when we have enough oxygen to do so. We check in with each other every mile or so with a “You good?”and encourage each other when we are getting tired. A week ago, she got sick the day before our longest run of the entire training process, and as I prepared to run on my own, I immediately got nervous! Nervous that I wouldn’t make it, nervous that there would be no one around if I sprained an ankle, nervous that my phone would die and I would be friendless AND music-less. I had a lot of irrational fears. The time came and I started to run. Physically I felt alright, but I was a mess mentally. I couldn’t stay focused, I couldn’t stay committed to the distance I was supposed to run, and ultimately, for the first time in this whole training process, I walked. I didn’t quit, but I slowed down and let myself do less than I knew I could do.
Galatians 6:2 says, "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."
This whole experience really struck a chord with me. What we do at Parent Life is walk alongside teens who have a lot of miles left on their journey. They are tired, have hurts, and huge emotional loads to carry. As we walk alongside them, we periodically check in with a "You good?" every now and then. We give them tools to refocus. We help them stay committed to the journey, and encourage them to become the parents we know they can become.
Thank you for your prayers and support. Keep praying for our teens as they run this race. Pray for their hearts to be open to the love Christ offers, and pray for our staff to have the strength to help carry the load.
---Beth Swihart, Parent Life